CURRENT MISSION

to absorb life

ABOUT ME

I am an avid traveller and have spent about 8 years actually travelling, another 8 years living in China and 2 years living in Russia. Amongst other things, I am a football (soccer) nut and love historical and scenic sites. I also enjoy nature and having animal encounters - which aren't always good! Scuba diving is a passion and I adore underwater photography - and photography in general. I'd like to think that I am laid back, enjoy socialising and take things as they come. I look forward to meeting new people and sharing experiences through couchsurfing!

PHILOSOPHY

If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger - if it does kill you, then better luck next time!

Everything is always ok in the end, if it is not ok, then it is not the end.

Work is the curse of the drinking classes. (Oscar Wilde)

I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell - you see, I have friends in both places. (Mark Twain)

A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it. (Oscar Wilde)

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer. (Albert Einstein)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have not couchsurfed for quite some time, but life changes and so have I. I am looking to revert to a more laid back lifestyle and appreciating the local culture and people. I have a child and have been unable to host and not wanted to couchsurf with her. However, I am now 'free' for a couple of months and would love to revisit some wonderful memories of couchsurfing, and hope I can do that with you :) I have always tried to spread the couchsurfing word wherever I travel. This is something that ANYONE can enjoy whether travelling or based at home. Its a chance to interact with the world.

So far I have surfed other people's couches around the world and hosted in China and Russia.

I have attended several meet ups - Tbilisi, Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Aleppo, Haifa.

I hosted two events - one in Haifa and one in Pushkin.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I actively used CS from about 2008-2015, then I had a child and life kind of changed. Things have changed again and now I have time to reconnect with myself. I have had some incredible experiences and met some wonderful people. I would like to meet more.

Sadly I have also had a couple of problems with hosts' families being disrespectful perverts to Jmy ex-wife - best not talked about - everyone can't be good!

Interests

Phil: Travel, football, photography, scuba diving, history, foreign cultures, socialising

• animals
• wildlife
• arts
• poetry
• design
• photography
• cooking
• drinking
• movies
• traveling
• drawing
• cycling
• scuba diving
• bungee jumping
• skydiving
• rock climbing
• soccer
• swimming
• world cup
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Books - Used to love Dostoevsky

Movies - Green Mile, Devil's Advocate, Forest Gump, Amelie, Little Miss Sunshine, Young Guns

Shows - The Amazing Race, Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones

I haven't had much time for any of these pleasures over recent years, but want to delve back into such things haha.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Swimming with whale sharks 5 times
Scuba diving with manta rays
Diving with dolphins
Cage diving with great white sharks
Watching a lion fight off some hyenas in South Africa
Getting charged by an elephant in Kruger National Park
Inca Trail
France
Climbing Roraima in Venezuala
Visiting the Angkor Temples twice
Sunrise on Mount Kinabalu
Petra and Wadi Rum
Watching the sunrise by myself at a snow covered Nemrut Dagi
Meeting Iranian people
Mountain biking down the world's most dangerous road in Bolivia
Salar De Uyuni
Visiting the orang-utans in Malaysia and Indonesia
Taking ayhuasca with a shaman in the Amazon
Watching Southern Right Whales in Patagonia
China - for better and worse
Trekking to Ciudad Perdida in Colombia
Skydiving in New Zealand
Thrilogy bungee jumps in New Zealand
Sand boarding the world's highest sand dune in Peru
Buenos Aires and Rio - magical
Iguazu falls
Galapagos Islands
Visiting all 92 of England's football grounds
Seeing the World Cup and European Championships (including England's semi final with Croatia)
Watching every Leeds home and away game in 2005/6

Basically life is amazing and I want more!!!!

Teach, Learn, Share

I have been on the road for quite a long time, so I hope that I can share my travel experiences and knowledge and hopefully some funny stories i.e. being spat at by an orang-utan, chased by komodo dragons, attacked by a bull, hunted by a bear, vomited on by a camel, etc etc and listen to yours.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Friendship

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Venezuela, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Netherlands, Russian Federation, United Kingdom

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