I am a 30 year old English teacher from The United States. I spent a couple of years volunteering in South Africa and then for the last yeah and a half I have been traveling Europe. A few months ago I came to Chile and took the TEFL course and then moved to Bogota to teach English here for a year.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My job does not start until January and since coming back to Bogota I have run into a few set backs, down to the bare minimum now and a friend recommended I check out this site. I am contemplating back packing from Bogota to Cartagena and spending a couple weeks sleeping in a hammock and eating fruit on La Playa Blanca.

Interests

• wildlife
• traveling
• volunteering
• conservation
• photograph

Music, Movies, and Books

I love Bulgarian and Serbian folk music, also a fan of most middle east music. Top 40s from North America are alright for the most part. Favorite book is The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde. It was an epic and racy book for his time. Favorite movies include, into the wild, I dreamed of Africa, Congo, and Gorillas in the mist.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I spent some time in South Africa working with large cats, it was an amazing experience. Volunteering at one of the sanctuaries opened my eyes to the atrocities that occur in these facilities and it caused me to start a non profit called Bryanslions. I wrote several exposes that published nationally in South Africa and on some small level helped make some changes.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love teaching about conservation or other worldly issues. I am constantly learning many things about myself and the world among my travels. Last year in Athens I met a young homeless man who changed my life and perspective in a lot of ways. I spent a large portion of my trip with him and realized there is a very fine line between "us" and "them" life can change very quickly and if you don't have a good support system or certain life skills you can easily end up in the same situation. Not everyone on the streets is there because of drugs or alcohol. Spending so much time with him I came to realize how demoralized they are by people, even if you cant afford to give them a dollar a simple hello sometimes can remind them that they are still a human being.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share some amazing photos and stories of my travels around the world. Pictures of adorable Lion cubs, videos of cheetahs and many other large cats that i have worked with. Stories of backpacking through Europe for a little over a year. Great advice on where to travel and best ways to get around. I am a decent cook and a great house keeper.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Peru, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bulgaria, Colombia, South Africa, United States