New Update (Late 2016):

So I haven't really used CS for some years now, other than a few moments here and there. I wasn't able to host because of a stupid landlord and neighbors, and I was pretty fed up with how CS was in general after "the big change".

I went to Berlin last year by myself and decided to use CS to meet some people. I didn't surf at all, but just met up for picnics, ultimate frisbee, and to hang out at night and kind of remembered how good CS can actually be aside from copy/paste requests.

Now my girlfriend and I decided to do a big trip around the world. You can read about it more if you want on our blog -- it's not a blog for making money or advertising anything. It's just our personal stories and a keepsake so we remember the trip, and because our parents really wanted us to do it haha. That's here: www.adifferentcour.se

We are going through SE Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and then over to South America before staying in the US (where I''m from) with my parents for a few months and going back to Spain (where María is from) where we live.

Both of us are translators, and I teach English classes online, so we are working on the road. That means we love to meet up with people, and go out with hosts when we can, but we aren't doing tourism every single day. Some days we stay at home or in the hotel working because a translation project came in. Not super fun, but that's how we're able to travel.

I used CS a lot in the past, and have some good references from the old days, but probably nothing recent since I have left it for a few years. I hope any potential hosts can understand that.

We definitely understand this is FreeBnB. We are traveling for a long time, and many days just want to hang out with some friends, have a drink, and experience the city in a local relaxed way rather than see temples and get hammered drunk like the vacation tourists.

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UPDATE 18-05-2015

**** I AM SORRY BUT I CANNOT HOST AT THIS TIME FOR SOME PERSONAL REASONS IN OUR APARTMENT ****

BUT - I am happy to give you some advice on my favorite places, or answer any questions about Madrid and maybe meet up with you to show you some places if I have time.

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CURRENT MISSION

Have a good time, all of the time.

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A little bit crazy, outgoing, completely biased, borderline offensive, loud, like to go to a good party, drink often, and think always. Tons of fun. If you are very docile and innocent, we might not be a good match.

If I am hosting you, you should expect a night out, or at least with some drinks and some type of social gathering. If this is not your style, maybe best to look for a different host. If you like to have a few drinks, and then maybe a few more, dance, listen to music, laugh, yell, laugh, lose your voice, and have a ridiculously fun time, we are a good match.

Similarly, when traveling, I often look for people like myself, but of course I understand the rules are different under someone else's roof, and completely respect your right to wake up for work in the morning or whatever it may be.

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Old profile:

Living in Madrid as an English Professor and trying to improve my spanish, soak up the culture, enjoy good times and good people!

I love live music, playing music, movies, food, and meeting people from all over the world. I'm really enjoying living in a foreign country for the first time, and hope to meet new friends CSing throughout Europe!

Sounds very "text book CS profile", huh? This profile was outdated so let's spice it up a bit.

I just got back from 2 awesome months living in Granada. I am now a futbolín addict (foosball, table football), and porrón drinking champion (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2tBHguCsHw - not me in the video, we don't fill it with wine, and we don't spill like this chump).

SEE YOU SOON!!

PHILOSOPHY

Your mind is like a parachute, it only works if you open it. And you only need the parachute if you're crazy enough to get on the plane!!!

Be good to others. Relax. Take time to reflect. Enjoy. Repeat. Don't forget your headphones.

Whatever you do, take care of your shoes.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To avoid being one of the typical red-faced drunken tourists that I despise and actually meet some local people to have a much better experience. We like to meet people that can tell you about a place, show you a bar you'd never find, or give you some history of the city. Maybe a family stay, where we can learn to cook a local dish, or to play music together. We want to meet nice people to have nice experiences while traveling, and make friends who can come visit us once we get back to Spain.
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HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

CS Meetups in Granada, and showing people around/hosting in Madrid.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Met some people CSing with a friend while in school in Madison, and have met some great CSers around town in Madrid either traveling here or just for the meetups.

Update: Now I have hosted and surfed a few times. All great so far, and enjoying hanging out in Granada with the local CSers here. Great stuff!

Interests

Life, Music, People, Laughter.

I love playing music and seeing live music. I play the bass guitar and would love to stay at places with instruments to be played or jam sessions to be had with hosts!

I also love snowboarding and hope to ski or snowboard with other CS while I am living in Europe.

Going out to local clubs, discos, bars, having a few drinks, having more than a few laughs, playing football, frisbee golf (disc golf), climbing, hiking, biking, dancing, and just plain old having a good time!

• dining
• cooking
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• live music
• hiking
• snowboarding
• soccer
• teaching
• languages
• ukulele
• bass guitar

Music, Movies, and Books

Seeing live music is my passion.

The Disco Biscuits, Umphrey's McGee, Phish, LCD Soundsystem, dZihan & Kamien, FUNK, electro-house, reggae, downtempo electronica.

Also classic rock, blues, flamenco, chill-out, much more. Not a big country fan :-/.

Hemmingway, Keroac, Vonnegut, The Dao de Jing, The Giver, Things Fall Apart

Spinal Tap, Wes Anderson, Bill Murray, Gangs of New York, Groundhog Day, Big Trouble in Little China.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

All of the live music and people I've seen and met over the years!

Skydiving with my parents.

(Oops that's two).

Teach, Learn, Share

We are translators - we can teach you both English and Spanish.

I have a ukulele with me and I am learning, but I can teach you some as well -- everything I know! Also I can teach some electric bass, basic web design or computer skills, how to setup a wordpress site, how to make rice with the correct amount of water, how to tie your shoes (2 methods), how to make that annoying sound with your finger and a wine glass, devil sticks, drinking from a porrón, how to juggle.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We can share Spanish culture, food, and language as well as American... wait... what exactly is American culture or... American food?!?

We share our senses of humor, I have a computer with me that you can use if you need.

Also our time, our ears, and our hearts for your stories and experiences. We can tell you any information about the places we have been to if you are planning on traveling there!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States

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