CURRENT MISSION

Expanding my horizons one adventure at a time.

ABOUT ME

Hello! I am 24 years old and live in Austin, Texas, USA. I first fell in love with traveling while spending 3 months backpacking around Europe and North Africa. Not long after that experience, I graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in civil engineering and went to work on water purification projects with a non-profit in South Carolina and in Nepal. Afterwords, I spent 5 months traveling around South America with my girlfriend Grace and we have since returned to the US. Now I work in water resources engineering and planning here in Austin, which keeps me in town more steadily and allows me to host other travelers. One of my favorite aspects of traveling is getting to meet people from different cultures and learn from them, and so I am really excited to host other travelers in a period of life when my own traveling is a bit more limited. If you want to get to know me more, check out some of the adventures I've had on Instagram (@michaelhsteele).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think that it is a wonderful way to meet local people in the place in which you are traveling, share experiences, and learn new skills and world views as a result of the experience. I have couchsurfed before thanks to the generosity of others, and so I am excited to return the favor now that I have a place that for now I call home!

Interests

Drinking good coffee or beer, talking about life with exciting people, philosophy, wakeboarding, snowboarding, running, photography, and traveling.

• photography
• cooking
• beer
• coffee
• drinking
• traveling
• snowboarding
• wakeboarding

Music, Movies, and Books

Lots! Lets talk favorites in person, yeah?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Summited El Misti, a 19,100 ft. volcano in Peru with fewer than necessary snacks.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to have genuine conversation with people who are both similar and very different than myself. I think it is through these scenarios that we are able to learn and grow as well as teach each other about our culture, thoughts, dreams, etc.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can offer friendly conversation or keep to myself if that is preferred. I believe gratitude and being considerate is very important, and so I love to do things like help clean dishes after a meal, or do little chores as a thank you to anyone hosting me. I like to cook, and am always willing to help with cooking if needed. I also love to learn about new people and cultures, and treat everyone with respect.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States