I was born in Iran and lived there until I was 12 years old. I then moved to the UK and lived there until I finished my PhD. I got the travel bug from an early age and finally made my dream a reality by taking time off in 2006 to travel the world. I visited over 30 countries within 18 months. After that time, I was never able to sit still in one place and the travel bug continues to grow more and more. I have been travelling now for the last 9 years, but not always continuously and sometimes, it involves working and staying in places for more than 1 or 2 years.

I have visited over 90 countries. I love meeting new people and immersing myself in different cultures. I have met some incredible people in this world. I love to explore, learn new languages, volunteer and take as many photos as I can. In my spare time, when not travelling, I love to stay fit and take part in races such as triathlons, running and cycling. I love the outdoors and enjoy challenging myself by taking a hike or simply taking in the beauty of the nature by meditating, sitting and watching the world go by.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I was introduced to Couchsurfing many years after I began my travels back in 2006. I never really used it in the past, as I didn't have the opportunity to do so.

I would like to experience Couchsurfing as I think staying with locals in a new place, which I am visiting, is the best way to immerse myself in the cultures and to get to know the people of that community, first hand.

I met a few couchsurfers while I was travelling and working in different places more recently, and it was amazing hearing their stories and what strike me most, was their openness and desire to give something back to anyone they met.

Interests

Obviously travelling, that is by far my biggest and most passionate interest. I love to hike and learning to climb more recently. I love to take photos, mostly of people and their expressions, but also I enjoy capturing nature. I enjoy writing and have many blogs on travelpod website. I love learning new languages but always feel a little shy when it comes to practising it! I love to meet other fellow travellers to share stories with and to learn new tips from them. I love keeping fit and enjoy taking part in triathlons. I love to dive and I am a divemaster.

• writing
• photography
• beauty
• education
• dining
• cooking
• yoga
• running
• meditation
• movies
• traveling
• music
• piano
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• scuba diving
• rock climbing
• teaching
• languages
• science
• volunteering
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

I like alternative rock and indie music. My most recent favourite book is Celestine Prophecy.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

If I have to choose from hiking some of the world's tallest mountains (Kilimanjaro, Damavand, alam Kuh, Toubkal, Touchal, Everest basecamp, Mount Elgon, Mount Rinjani...) diving some of the world's pristine dive sites and racing over 20 triathlons (four half ironman and one ironman), I will have to go with my most recent work project in Iran.

I worked on many projects which involved improving livelihood and/or creating income generation projects within developing communities. One that made the most significant impact on me and my life - the reason why I am now pursuing a teaching career - was working with Female Afghanistani refugees. Their sense of commitment not only to my project, or to themselves, but to their community and subsequently to their nation, was something I had not fully understood or seen in the past and that certainly had a significant impact on me. Never give up, was not just a saying among these young ladies, but it was seen in their every day struggle and every day action.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: I am a scientist, with a speciality in food safety and biochemistry. I have worked with the UN for 4 years focusing on community outreach projects such as improving livelihood of a community via creating jobs. Education has been a great part of my projects and I have been involved in many training, in particular empowering women.

I am a professional diver, got my dive master certificate while living in Kenya.

I love photography and have been involved in few training programs and have been able to share few tricks.

I play musical instruments, dulcimer and piano, though it has been a long time!

Learn: I continue learning every day, even in my field of work, I still find new discoveries. Every day is a lesson. I enjoy meeting photographers and learning new tricks from them. I am learning new languages.

I learn new ways of traveling each time I decide to explore. I am learning yoga, so love to meet more yogis out there. Meditation has had an amazing influence on my personal and professional life.

I am a keen hiker and have been to many mountains, some over 5000mts, I am learning climbing and would love to take it further.

Share: I love to share my knowledge, my experiences and my interests with other like-minded people.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my travel knowledge and experiences with the hosts. Music, photography, theatre and movies are things that I enjoy sharing with my hosts. I like to know about their life choices and what brought them to where they are now. I like to cook together with my hosts, as sometimes that is a great way to get to know someone. I enjoy to go for a run or maybe a walk and if they like to go on a hike, then even better. I don't believe in coincidences and I believe everything in life happens for a reason.

I believe we each as travelers and citizens of the world can give so much to the world around us. I would love to share ideas about empowerment, spirituality and simply giving to the world that has given me so much.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Iran, Kenya, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States