My hopes and dreams led me to Budapest. I am originally from the Mindanao Island, south of the Philippines. My roots came from the indigenous peoples called Subanon. The unpredictable peace and order in Mindanao have created a climate of apprehension and that sustainable peace has become elusive. This is the primary reason why the need to work for peace is inculcated in my mind so that future conflicts may be prevented. With this, all my volunteer and work experiences have stemmed out from the desire to contribute working for peace. I hope to become an international civil servant when I am done with my graduate studies.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My colleague from the Philippines introduced me to Couchsurfing in 2017. I am in CS for 6 years now. CS is a perfect opportunity to meet new people while in a foreign land without having apprehensions on the intentions of the members of CS because it has incredible features such as references and the like. I met amazing and talented people in CS and we continued to keep in touch and became friends. This is the beauty of CS — it connects people and build lasting friendship that we can bring with us wherever we are in the world and hoping that we will see each other again some time in the future.

Interests

I have a wide range of interests but I am particularly passionate about trainings and seminar on cultural exchanges, personal development, youth leadership, among others. I also enjoy singing, painting, writing (both technical and literary), traveling, hanging out with friends, long bus trips, visiting museums and historical sites. I am a very friendly person and I enjoy the company of friends in the same way that I love solitude and ‘me-time’ once in a while to regain energy.

• writing
• singing
• traveling
• painting
• swimming
• museums and exhibitions
• broadway shows

Music, Movies, and Books

I am a huge fan of The Little Prince by the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I had a few collection of the book in different languages back home but it is only here in Budapest that I “officially” started collecting the book. Now, I have over 15 versions of the book. In terms of music, I listen to different types of music genres. But my favorite genres include ballad, bossa nova, acoustic, Broadway musicals and any related songs. I try to learn more Hungarian and Mandarin Chinese through Disney songs.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I left my hometown and pursue my dream of studying and living abroad, first in Taiwan (2019) and now in Hungary (2022). It started when I was 17 years old and became a recipient of an exchange program in the United States. Since then I promised to myself that I wanted to gain new technical skills and learn new knowledge about the world through formal academic institutions and through the people and friends I meet along the way. The Universe has been so good to me and granted me with so many things to be thankful for. As a way of paying it forward, I dedicate my free time doing volunteer works especially on youth leadership so that the younger people may also get the opportunity as much as I do.

Teach, Learn, Share

I always believe that each person I meet carries with him/her/them valuable lessons to share to me. I enjoy listening to the stories of each individual and in return share my cultural, personal, and professional stories to them. I always believe that we are “more alike than we are different” and it is through creating safe spaces to share our stories that I learned to understand the world and humanity more profoundly.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have not been hosted yet but I am excited when that chance comes. I am generally a tidy and responsible person. I make sure that I take care of the place and the things that are entrusted to me while staying at the host’s place. There is really no substitute for a good name. That is why I deal with people with respect, politeness, and kindness as much as I want others to treat me the same. I can treat the host to a simple meal together along with stories and exchange of conversations.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Cambodia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Hungary, Philippines, Taiwan