Hello, I’m Kevin. I was born and raised in US. Brand new to Couchsurfing (I promise I’m not a weirdo lol). I work as an IT consultant in Texas, but am currently taking a sabbatical from work to travel. Pretty easygoing and friendly, I love meeting people from different backgrounds.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Meeting new people and listening to their thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. I love getting local perspectives on a country’s current affairs.

Interests

• arts
• running
• classical music
• jazz
• outdoor activities
• scuba diving
• boxing
• astronomy
• geography
• international relations
• philosophy
• travel
• cultures
• learning languages
• mma
• whiskey
• world history
• diplomacy
• creative writing
• reading novels

Music, Movies, and Books

Books - Sputnik Sweetheart, Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle
Music - Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Teresa Teng, Kanye West

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I’m currently on a 3-month solo backpacking trip through SE Asia, Australia, and Europe, carrying just a 7kg (15lbs) carry-on to avoid baggage fees :P

Teach, Learn, Share

Hong Kong - The subway is called the MTR in HK and MRT in Taiwan 😑
You can refill your Octopus card at most convenience stores.

Taiwan - Keep your receipts for purchases made in Taiwan, they can be redeemed in a government-sponsored lottery drawing for prizes.

Kaohsiung - The Formosa Boulevard MRT Station’s Dome of Light is beautiful, great photo op.

Taichung - Visit Feng Jia Night Market

Vietnam - To cross the street in the big cities, walk slowly and steadily; oncoming traffic will move around you.
If you are riding a motorbike, it’s not a big deal to honk your horn. Honking is typically used to warn others of your presence, such as when you’re passing.
Hanoi has a big night market, but only on weekends.
To visit Sapa by bus from Hanoi, I found Sapa Express to be an excellent company.
Vietnam has many, many great and cheap hostels. Find a highly rated hostel (such as from booking.com), and they’ll be able to take care of all kinds of things for you such as arranging bus tickets, renting motorbikes to you, arranging tours, recommendations for things to do / places to eat, etc.
Try a cruise in Lan Ha Bay vs. the better known Ha Long Bay.
Grab drivers tend to be easier to call than Uber in Vietnam (Uber recently sold to Grab in Vietnam as well).

Texas - Breakfast tacos

Singapore - Singapore is expensive, but food doesn’t have to be, especially if you visit hawker centers such as Newton food center and Maxwell food center.

Bali - Try out the volcano sunrise trekking on Mt Batur and Mt Agung for some beautiful views (Agung may be closed due to recent eruptions). You’ll have to wake up at 2am though.

Sydney - Bondi to Coogee Beach walk for a free, beautiful outdoors activity. To get to Bondi, ride the train to Bondi Junction station and take a local bus down to the beach.
You can walk along the Sydney Harbour Bridge for free, if you don’t want to pay to climb along the top of the bridge.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Willing to help out with chores and with running errands. I can help prepare food, not such a great cook though lol.

Also if you’d just like to chat - I’m no expert, but I enjoy discussing world history/culture/demographics, technology, international relations/politics (both international politics and the domestic politics of any region), philosophy, music, sports (esp. basketball), and travel.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bahamas, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Mexico, Taiwan, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States