CURRENT MISSION

My mission right now is to truly explore what the U.S. has to offer. Two friends and myself will be travelling this summer with the pedal under our feet and tarmac under our tyres!

ABOUT ME

Hello fellow surfers.

I am Bhishma Patel, a student at the University of Birmingham, England. I study the subject of Computer Science but still know how to have a cracking time and some great fun! My travels so far have taken me across China and SouthEast Asia, to experience the rich culture, food, scenery and personalities out there; a truly wonderful experience! More recently I have participated in a charity hitchhike that took me from Birmingham to the Polish-Ukrainian border in under 72 hours (over 1000miles as the crow flies).

My latest expedition is across the U.S. with a couple of friends to experience the best of the east and west coasts and to meet all the interesting people (you guys) along the way :).

Aside from the traveling side of things, I'm an easy-going guy that enjoys listening to each story there is to be told. I am very chilled out and hard to stress, I don't see any point in letting things bother you too much. I do enjoy a good party and the spontaneous nights always end up being the funnest. I'm soon to be moving to London for the next chapter of my life; a city that presents a new page every time you read it!

PHILOSOPHY

The person you haven't met has the potential to be your best friend.

What seems like a small act to myself can mean a whole lot more to others.

To keep on bettering myself.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've just joined upon recommendation of a friend who surfed the US last year. I'm traveling for 5 weeks and want to try out the sofas on offer across the states.
Come September I'll be moving to my flat in London and available to return the favor by hosting from a central London location.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

No official CouchSurfing experience as of yet but I've spent many a night crashing on floors and sofas thanks to the kindness of others

Interests

Generally I take an interest in anything going: sport, technology, people, travel, science, literature, history; every subject has something of intrigue behind it. Also, coming from a mixed-race background, cultural exploration has become more important to me as I have grown and matured. It is interesting to see how people from different cultures interact with one-another and soon learn that we're not all that different!

• culture
• literature
• dining
• partying
• technology
• traveling
• sports
• computer science
• history
• science
• solo travel

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Travelling China and southeast Asia was my first solo travelling experience and it was a truly breath-taking experience. Attempting a Rocky-esque stair climb atop the Great Wall of China was a great feeling, but truly knackering! One of the most enjoyable challenges of China was overcomming the language barrier, and truly discovering the power of a smile!

More recently, the hitchike that I participated in went some way towards restoring a sense of destiny and belief in human spirit. It was crazy how we went from near-last place at the end of the first 24 hours (freezing cold and cramped in Dover's arrivals lounge) to first place after 48 hours when a random Polish guy simply nodded when we asked him if he'd mind driving us for 12 hours across Europe!

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Egypt, Malta, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom