Hi,
My name is Maor, I'm 27 and am almost finished with my degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Physics.

I first started using Couchsurfing in 2022 when I travelled the US East Coast and have come to greatly appreciate this community. My hosts have become good friends who I still keep in touch with.

Since then I've hosted a fellow Couchsurfer I met in New York as well as a friend I met while volunteering on a farm in Maine. I look forward to hosting many others!

I want to continue learning about different cultures and also hope to give you a sense of the Israeli culture which I know and love.

In my free time I enjoy reading, much for the same reasons as why I'm interest in Couchsurfing - as a means of sharing lives, understanding how others view the world, exploring other cultures and building connections.
Some recent books I enjoyed are Educated (Tara Westover), The Martian (Andy Weir) and The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (John Koenig).

Some academic courses I found super interesting are: Fluid Mechanics, Signal Processing and Analytical Mechanics.

Before studies I did Krav Maga (Israeli self-defense) and helped teach children, women and teenagers how to protect themselves. If you're interested and have the time, I'd be happy to teach you too!

I also enjoy the outdoors - whether it's hiking, cycling, jogging with friends or talking to the neighborhood cat who I call Felucia.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

When I look back on my (relatively short) life, the memories that stand out are usually from when I was sharing my life with others. And more often than not, I've noticed that it's the small and often overlooked experiences that I genuinely crave:
- Crouching down on one knee to give a high-five to a 9 year old who just succeeded in a self-defense exercise.
- Passing the bowl of Tahini to a friend during a Shabbat dinner, just as someone cracks a joke and laughter erupts around the table.
- Seeing the old-couple from across the street holding hands as they do their daily walk together.

I'm on Couchsurfing to experience more of these unique moments, especially with people from different cultures to my own.

Interests

• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• martial arts
• history
• exercising
• singing-in-the-shower

Music, Movies, and Books

My taste in music is varied and I'm still discovering new genres that I like. Some that come to mind as I write this are: German folklore (Faun), Techno (Push and Joyhauser), Broadway Musicals (Hamilton), Disney Movies (Mulan), Pop (Lady Gaga).

With regards to movies, I really appreciate Christopher Nolan's movies and am a big Marvel fan (Winter Soldier is my favorite). I recently saw Gattaca which left me speechless, and I generally like Ethan Hawke's movies as they tend to make me question the world around me.
EDIT from 2023 - I'd add K-PAX to this list - also a thought-provoking movie with beautiful music.

I really like reading and am always close to my Kindle (or Audible). I consider myself an omnivorous reader insofar as I'll read pretty much anything that sounds cool. I recently finished a book about perfume-making while arriving half-way through a book explaining how to build a computer from first principles. Every now and then I'll look through Marcus Aurelius' Meditations or other philosophy books. My favorite fantasy book is The Name of the Wind, and I've read The Martian at least three times, each time noticing something I missed previously.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I wouldn't call it amazing but I once misplaced a really important document and went dumpster-diving to retrieve it. An hour later, just as I finished going through the last trash bag, someone found the document in one of the office cabinets...

Teach, Learn, Share

If you're coming to Israel then I can show you around Haifa/ the northern district. What's cool about this country is that it's small and everything is in driving distance - 5 hours from top to bottom, and 3 from left to right.

I haven't actually tried this yet, but it's possible to experience 4 different climates in the same day - in the morning start at the top (Mount Hermon) with some snow skiing, then head south-west to the Galil to have a picnic breakfast in the lush green fields. Continue heading south-west and by noon/afternoon you'll be in Caesarea for some beach-volleyball. Then head south for a couple hours and you'll find yourself in the Negev desert.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I really like deep conversations and often at work my team would have deep philosophical conversations over lunch.

If you're interested in hacking I can show you a number of cool techniques, and if you prefer something more physical then I'd be happy to teach you Krav Maga.

I know English and Hebrew fluently and could teach you these languages, and although I'm not Moroccan, I do make good Moroccan Fish and could cook that for you :)

Oh, and no matter the hour or day, I'll always be able to share a smile with you :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, France, New Zealand, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, United Kingdom