I'm a pretty dynamic individual - I like to challenge myself, get out of my comfort zone, and am always up for trying new things. I love a good bad-joke, double-entendres, and am a bit of a brazen ham : )
I do my best to always treat people with respect regardless of their situation in life - we all have our struggles, triumphs, stories, things to learn from each other. I love meeting people who positively challenge my ideas - to learn and see the world from a different perspective.
I strive to live a life of moral and environmental integrity. "Your beliefs don't make you a better person, your behaviour does."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To give back some of the amazingness I've received - I've been very fortunate in my travels and have been helped in big and little ways, often, unexpectedly, by complete strangers.

Interests

I'm an active person: I do yoga, cycle, trail-run, and love a good adventure race.
I truly feel my free-est when dancing, swimming in lakes/oceans, and when diving!
Travel, meeting new people and experiencing new places/cultures is probably the most important thing in my life.

• dancing
• yoga
• running
• traveling
• painting
• music
• cycling
• spelunking
• scuba diving
• swimming
• volunteering
• lakes

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - diverse : punk to motown, hip hop, electronic, indie, folk, old country
Authors: Graham Greene, Vonnegut, Maugham, Camus, Orwell, Kerouac ...
Movies - documentaries, films, the fantasmal/ hilarious: anything Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, Wes Anderson

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I left a life of comfortable security in western society to travel solo for 2 years to learn to rely solely on my own self. But this was now over 10 years ago. I plan to sell the proverbial farm and repeat it soon.
I've volunteered with natural building projects and an organic seed-saving centre; spent a year running a restaurant/gallery/music venue; spent months living with and learning from an ascetic; climbed volcanoes; gone spelunking by candlelight; gotten lost in the jungle alone (twice); did the Trans-Siberian in February; stayed with Mongolian nomads; and worked harder than i have in my life volunteering with a disaster relief organization.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a certified massage therapist; can teach basic beginner yoga; play a mean game of cribbage, and a half-decent game of backgammon : )
I make a legendary vietnamese coconut chicken, and can show you how to make your own all-natural all-purpose cleaner.

Countries I’ve Visited

Barbados, Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Philippines, Russian Federation, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Thailand, United States