In 2012 I took a 3 month trip to South America, and my life hasn't been the same since.
Having returned from South America, I've volunteered as a leadership instructor in the Dominican Republic with GLA , backpacked through South-east Asia and drove across Canada from Montreal to Tofino. I backpacked for 3 months in Europe, did a month long tour of France with my girlfriend, and sailed in a three person team from Norfolk Virginia to the Caribbean.

My eyes are now set on returning to Europe, as I want to gain a deeper appreciation of the countries I visited last time around. Most of my trip will be done on bicycle, until either the bike itself gives out, or my glutes do! This time around, on the menu are Britain, Northern France, Hungary, Czech Republic and Germany. I may also spend a bit of time in Italy.

I am extremely interested in languages. Fluent in English and French, and conversational in Spanish. I learned some Italian as well, but I've yet to see how much I'll actually remember when the time comes to use it!

I've just finished my first year of Political Science at Concordia university in Montreal. Interestingly enough, the time I spent traveling before going back to school imbued me with a burning thirst for knowledge, and now my goal is simply to learn as much about the world as I can. So topics like history, international relations, philosophy, geography, economics, etc etc are fascinating to me. Every individual person has their own way of seeing the world, and I love to try and understand that view, and assimilate it into my own. When I graduate, I hope to work in a field like International development, as a diplomat with the UN, or with an NGO that operates worldwide. Something along those lines anyway!

I am also passionate about cooking, and and am happy cooking for others if they're interested. I would also love to learn more about cuisine from around the world, and will be compiling a list of regional recipes on my trip if you'd like to contribute :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love couchsurfing because more than simple accommodation, it provides amazing and interesting experiences that stay with you forever. (though the accommodation part is pretty convenient too!)
Whenever I have couchsurfed, I've found that being able to meet people and learn to local culture has been the focal point of my trip. When I return home, those are the experiences that stay with me. While hostels can be fun, I've noticed that hostel culture tends to revolve a lot around partying. I much prefer a night spent cooking, eating, and talking about topics that set the mind alight, whether that be the best way to cook a steak, how to frame the perfect photograph, or why Plato is really annoying to read!

Interests

My two greatest passions are probably travel and cooking, but besides that I love reading, writing, and have recently begun developing my photography skills!

There's not much that doesn't interest me really. I find that variety is the spice of life! The only problem is that spice can be expensive, so while I'm a poor student I find myself gravitating to the human sort of experiences that don't cost too much money. Conversation over a bottle of wine, taking photo-walks to explore the city, watching quality cinema, or delving into the history of whatever place I find myself in.

• writing
• cooking
• wine
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• economics
• history
• languages
• philosophy
• food
• discussion
• learning
• international politics

Music, Movies, and Books

My favorite music is.. Well I like most kinds of Music.. Some of my favorite bands are:

Muse,
Parov Stelar,
Jack Johnson,
Sam Roberts Band
Dave Matthews
Broken Bells
Tame Impala
Frederyk Chopin
Cesaria Evora
Stromae
Deadmau5

Lately I've been exploring a bit closer to home, learning some very cool Quebecois bands like

Karkwa,
Cowboys Fringants,
Les Colocs,
Bernard Adamus

Movies:

Moulin Rouge
Whiplash
Tenacious D
Memento
Blood Diamon
Fight Club
Lord of the Rings series
Inception
Princess Mononoke
The Hurt Locker
RocknRolla

Books:
The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy
Hatchet
The Name of the Wind
The Wise Man's Fear
The Count of Monte Cristo

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Sailing from Norfolk, Virginia, down to and around the Caribbean. Me and my mom joined a Russian Captain who'd recently lost someone important to him and was looking to find some meaning in life again. For 10 days the three of us sailed through the Atlantic in a 51 foot Swan without land in sight. Wine, food, fishing, stars, storms and calm acceptance of the passage of time were the main takeaways, as well as a the formation of a lifelong friendship :)

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:

Not sure I'm really in a position to teach anything, but I'm always happy to share whatever knowledge I've accumulated in my short time on this earth!
But in the interests of answering the intent of this question, I'm happy to share what I know about cooking, first and foremost, as it's probably the domain where I'm most confident.

Learn:
Everything! I want to learn it all :) But if you have any amazing family recipes or cooking techniques, please send them my way. I'd also love to learn about photography, drawing, and any local politics.

Share:
What's mine is yours :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can cook breakfast/lunch/dinner (maybe not all the same day).
Can help out with chores or cleaning if needed,
I'm pretty good at travel research and can give tips if you're going to some places I've been.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada