Name: Carlos Alvarez
Location: Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Words of Wisdom: The World is much smaller than you think.
Carlos Alvarez is a passionate, socially aware, self-proclaimed freedom fighter. He lives in a large Argentinian city called Rosario where he hosts surfers, sells (and reads) plenty of books, and keeps a travel blog with his girlfriend.
Carlos is a man of great convictions and morals, and points out many issues that he is passionate about on his CS profile. He loves to engage in long and meaningful conversations, exchanging viewpoints and learning about perspectives different than his own. One can’t help but be impressed by his dedication to his own personal growth while simultaneously taking a stand against things like war, homophobia and and sexism.
Carlos got involved with Couchsurfing back in 2009. “I loved the concept and there were very few people doing it in those days in my country, which made it more rare and interesting” recalls Carlos.
“In many ways, I’m not the same guy I was before my Couchsurfing experience. CS showed me that the world is smaller than I thought and full of amazing people, and that we all belong to the same place– the earth. Understanding that and breaking the limits of the mind, I discovered that I loved a lot of cultural aspects of other societies, like languages, traditions, gastronomy, etc. From being a normal student and worker immersed in my routine, to becoming a worldly guy that studies to understand others and working to travel as much as possible. The priorities in my life have changed completely since I joined Couchsurfing.”
For Carlos, discovering Couchsurfing was a way for him to quench his insatiable thirst for travel while he was still a University student. It helped him learn more about the world and open his mind, shaping him into the strong person that he is today.
Carlos, along with thousands of other travelers, has found inspiration from legendary backpacker, Juan Villarino. Villarino is best known for is travels across the middle east during the Bush administration, proving that people are, in fact, inherently good and not at all like they had been portrayed by the media. “Following his steps I started to make my own path.”
Carlos has taken his love for travel and applied to another interesting hobby– sending postcards to strangers all over the world. He uses postcrossing.com to send and receive postcards from anyone who wants to get involved. He started this hobby around the same time that he joined Couchsurfing. It is one of the many ways that Carlos makes the world feel a little bit smaller.
What’s next for Carlos? Continuing to organize Rosario’s weekly meetings, which he has done since 2013, is at the top of his list. Carlos also plans and hosts other social events for travelers who come to town.
“As a CS Ambassador I love to make events where people can develop the CS spirit and share their tales and experiences of helping others.”
On top of all that, Carlos is also planning a big trip with his girlfriend where they will hitchhike from Argentina to Mexico.
