Read 'My Home' before sending a request.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aravind_unnikrishnan_/
Travel blog: https://backpackersjourneyblog.wordpress.com/

About Me:

I was born and raised in Kerala, India. I work as a Software Engineer in a MNC and currently lives in Helsinki, Finland

If I could say one thing that I'm passionate about then it's traveling. It's the one thing that I had done with much love and the one that always makes me feel happy. It all started in my college days when I was 18, when I used to travel by train for hours to meet my mom. I stayed in a hostel at that time and I had to travel alone for 3-4 hours to reach my home. It did instill the foundation for my love for traveling. And when I got a job I did my first solo backpacking to Mysore(Karnataka, India) with little to no plan. After that, I did roam around India touching almost all parts of my country. Then in 2019, I got a chance to travel abroad to Finland and now I managed to tickoff few countries from my checklist.

From my experience of traveling I can guarantee that irrespective of the diverse culture, difference in language, philosiphy etc....one thing always remain the same - the humanity, yes the people are same everywhere in the world in terms of humanity and kindness. I have enough proves in my travel experiences that taught me the same. Wherever I went, be it in India or in Sweden or in Finland or in Poland, there were people I met who extend a helping hand when I needed the most. And I'll never forget them in my life.

By traveling, I want to continue explore more places and meet people like them to make me realize these things exists especialy in this fast paced world mostly driven by social media and virtual reality.

Besides this I like to photograph landscapes which is the next big thing after traveling. Owing to my laziness and procrastination, you won't see much in my Instagram feed, but I have a huge chunk of photos waiting to be uploaded to Instagram. I'm hoping to do it soon.

Also same is the case with my travel blog which I started long time back but not updated regularly. Inspite of that I have one of my most craziest day in my life documented there.
You can read it here: https://backpackersjourneyblog.wordpress.com/

PHILOSOPHY: Life is a gift that you're given without asking. Use it to do things that you love.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

In my travel experience, wherever I visited I have met people who are very kind and helpful. There were times when it matters the most I had got help from the people I haven't seen before. So by being a part of Couchsurfing community my motive is to help people who visit my place in whatever way I could. Also I'm looking forward to meet new people and who know may be a future friend with a similar interest as mine. I can assure you that the time you spend with me will not be boring at all! ;)

Interests

I believe traveling became an integral part of my life...as it helps me feel good and happy. I live alone, and mostly an introvert so sitting at home doesn't work for me. So I keep traveling. Moreover, I take travel more as a exploration and that keeps me engaged. Besides that I am a big football fan (Man Utd, Kerala Blasters, India, Argentina and Finland). Visiting Old Trafford is there in my bucket list.

I also like to play pc games, watching movies/series from different countries. And then playing board games is another hobby for me.

• photography
• movies
• socializing
• blogging
• cycling
• backpacking
• camping
• bungee jumping
• solo travel
• adventure travel
• gaming
• backpacker
• beach volleyball
• rafting
• photograph
• boardgame
• solotravel
• solo
• hiker

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: A.R Rahman songs, 'FRIENDS', 'Silence' by Marshmello, 'Girls like you' by Maroon 5, 'I Gotta Feeling' by The Black Eyed Peas, 'Dynamite' by Talo Cruz, 'Club can't handle me' by Flo Rida, David Guetta, 24K Magic by Bruno Mars, 'No Brainer' by Justine Bieber

Movies:
1. Amour (French Movie by Haneke)
2. Schindler List (English Movie by Steven Spielberg)
3. The Wind Will Carry Us (Iranian Movie by Abbas Kiarostami)
4. Jour de Fête (French Comedy Film by Jacques Tati)
5. The Piano (French war Film by Jane Campion)
6. A River Runs Through It (English Family Movie by Robert Redford)
7. Uzak (Distant) (A Turkish Film by Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
8. 3 Iron ( Korean Film by Kim Ki Duk)
9. The Wind That Shakes the Barley (Irish War Film by Ken Loach)
10. Raising Arizona (English Comedy Movie by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen)

Books: The GodFather, The Shooting Star

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- Bungy Jumping in Uttarahkhand, India (80 meters)
- Lost passport in Helsinki on my first trip
- Star Gazing from a tent all alone on top of mountain in Naneghat Pune India
- Chadar Trek, hike over a frozen river at -30 degrees in Leh, India
- Got lost in a forest in Karnataka while hiking to a waterfalls
- Dudhsagar trek in Goa, India
- Backpacking in Meghalaya, India
- Agasthhyakoodam trek, Kerala, India, opens only for one month
- River rafting in Rishikesh, India

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:
I can teach you some photography, a few words in Hindi that will help you when you travel in India, also I can teach you few meditation techniques that I use for relaxation. Also I can teach you the ways to travel in a shoestring budget. And then if you're interested I can show and cook you some Kerala(south Indian state) food.

Learn:
I like to learn about the culture of country you're from. Also I like trying out new things and open to learning anything that you're planning to share.

Share:
I can share with you my travel stories. I can share you my knowledge about the countries I have visited. Also I can share few tips for traveling in India(esp. Kerala). I knew off beat destinations which are not yet known to an outside traveller.

I can also cook you Kerala food.

What I Can Share with Hosts

- I'm a photographer, so I can take few potraits for you!
- I will make sure to bring a gift for you
- I can cook some Kerala food
- I can help you in cleaning, cooking, gardening, taking care of kids (I love kids!)
- I'll make sure to write a reference for you

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, India, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Finland, India