I'm a 21 year old New Zealander in Canada on a Working Holiday Visa. So far I have lived in Yellowknife and Vancouver, and have also visited Montreal, Squamish and Whistler. I'm hoping to do more travelling around Canada and overseas (you'll see that my countries visited list is rather sad at the moment), I just haven't quite figured out where yet! I feel that I'm only just properly beginning my journeys and my exploration now.

My personality: I am a thoughtful, gentle, creative, and inquisitive person. I enjoy reflecting, learning, discussing and exploring. I am a pretty determined person too. Whether that's in my studies, personal learning, or doing something that challenges me or takes me outside of my comfort zone. I suppose on a spectrum of personality types I lean towards being a bit of a quiet, shier person in some situations (I'm not naturally a partier for example), but I really do enjoy connecting with other people, particularly one to one, and having some really amazing conversations.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I really want my time in Canada and overseas to be an enriching, exciting, learning experience. I see this as a time for me to not only have a lot of fun visiting new places, but also to grow and develop as a person. Along my travels I would love to learn about other people, other cultures, and pretty much everything I can! Couchsurfing seems like one great way to do that; a way to add something to my traveling experiencing that I might otherwise be missing out on. It's a unique way to experience a new place, and a great way to meet new people.

Interests

• humanities
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• tennis
• badminton
• philosophy
• science
• visual arts
• nature
• vegetarianism
• veganism
• environmentalism
• creative writing

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I think it's hard to describe my music taste as it's so varied. Sort of ridiculously I enjoy everything from soft ambient music (such as Brian Eno) to progressive death metal (such as my favorite band Opeth). Favorite artists of mine include - Deftones, Opeth, Devin Townsend, Grimes, Radiohead, WHY? heh, and Loreena Mckennitt.

Movies: I suppose my general movie knowledge is pretty poor actually. It's not unusual for me to have never watched or sometimes even heard about movies that most other people have seen, but I do enjoy a good film. Just recently I watched Manchester by the Sea. It was incredible. I also really enjoy studio Ghibli and Wes Anderson films.

Books: It's really hard to pick a favorite book! There are too many to choose from. I find libraries to be one the most inspiring places to visit, but also one of the most overwhelming seeing as I find myself wishing I could read every single book in the library and learn about virtually every single topic in existence. In recent times I have enjoyed reading The Third Plate: Field Notes of the Future of Food, by Dan Barber , East of Eden by John Steinbeck (maybe one of the best books I've ever read), Tales of Moccasin Avenue: An Anthology of Native Stories, and several of the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy series which have been a lot of fun. Terry Pratchett is also one of my favorite authors. He's great.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I think just staying here in Canada to be honest! I've had a lot of amazing experiences here in Vancouver especially- from salsa dancing, gardening and badminton Meetups, to writing for a local paper, volunteering at a gallery and attending arts festivals....plus so much more. I've pushed myself to try so many different things, taken myself outside of my comfort zone, and I've really made the most of opportunities that have been available to me.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: if you ever want any chemistry or human geography tutoring let me know : P

Learn - I am open to learning about pretty much anything! Enlighten me! I am always eager to listen, learn and discuss. That's a large part of the reason I want to try this.

What I Can Share with Hosts

What I hope you will find to be some enjoyable company!

A respectful, responsible attitude towards being a house guest!

I am happy to cook a shared meal, so long as you can tolerate a slightly odd creation! I am a vegetarian and currently I'm working around a bunch of dietary restrictions, but I'll try my best to whip up something nice.

Anything else I can give back to you let me know. I can pitch in with a little bit of cleaning and so forth for example.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand