I love to travel and have a keen interest in learning about new cultures and societies. I have a deep love for history, nature, great cities and beaches. I have worked mainly in politics and the non-profit sector, but am always interested in all kinds of new and exciting opportunities to broaden my perspective.

My philosophy: Be your own person, and live life the way they YOU want to live it, no matter what other people say and think about you. Judge yourself according to YOUR own definition of success and satisfaction in life, and don't let anyone make you feel dissatisfied with the way you choose to live.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

By complete accident, when I was traveling through Northeastern Turkey, to a city called Kars, we met, and were hosted by a group of some of the most wonderful people I've ever met. We shared stories and information about our home countries, they showed us around the city, made us delicious Turkish breakfast, and we all got to know each other over the two nights we were there. This positive experience is one of the reasons I've decided to join couchsurfing.

I discovered couchsurfing through word-of-mouth, and decided to try it a few times during my travels through Turkey. I love the experience of being able to engage with locals on a personal level. You learn a lot and gain a more real and authentic perspective on the place you are visiting.

So far, I've couchsurfed five times--in Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Ankara, Adana, and Hatay (all in Turkey). All experiences were positive.

Interests

Politics, Public Policy, International Relations, Travel, History, Culture, Art, Sociology, Nature

• arts
• culture
• breakfast
• politics
• traveling
• history
• international relations
• public policy
• sociology
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Music is an important part of my life. I listen to a wide variety, and no particular artists, groups, or genres define my listening habits. Different genres fit different moods.

Books: 1984, Animal Farm, Guns Germs and Steel, The Dark Child, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, The Alchemist

Movies: V for Vendetta, Avatar, Amal, Machuca, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, The Terminal, La Vie En Rose, The Namesake, Waltz with Bashir, Bride and Prejudice, Bend It Like Beckham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Harry Potter (all), Independent Films

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've done many amazing things! I have traveled throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America (mostly Cuba and Mexico) and the Middle East (Turkey and Northern Iraq), lived in Istanbul for 8.5 months studying on exchange, have traversed the Panama Canal, seen London, Paris, Rome, Venice, and Amsterdam, climbed a small but gorgeous mountain in a Quebec national park, gone ATVing in Cappadocia, climbed up the deposits of Pamukkale barefoot in the cold and rain, and swam in a turquoise lagoon.

I have done many more amazing things too, and hope to continue doing more and more! :)

Teach, Learn, Share

"Success means having the courage, determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be."

- George Sheehan

"A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labour and there is an invisible labour."

- Victor Hugo

"A ship in a port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for."

- Various

Countries I’ve Visited

Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Iraq, Italy, Lesotho, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French part), Sint Maarten (Dutch part), South Africa, Spain, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, British

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Turkey

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