Hey, I'm Dotti! (Dotti is a nickname. My legal name as Nicole, but no one calls me that anymore - confusing, I know!) I'm currently on a long-term trip around the world with my partner, Zandy. We're slowly crossing countries and discovering this beautiful planet of ours.

Whilst we're now a travelling pair, we decided to use my profile instead of creating a new one, as it is already so established.

Here's a little bit about us!

Dotti - I've been a bit of a nomad since I was 18 and first discovered travelling. I'm originally from Canada, but in 2011 I packed up my entire life there and took a one-way flight to Mexico. I had the intention to travel to Argentina overland, but as often happens, my journey took me down unexpected paths! In 2013 I landed in Melbourne, Australia and I quickly settled there and made it home. I made friends, started a relationship (hello, Zandy!) and went to law school and became a lawyer!

Zandy - Zandy is an avid adventurer who has been travelling most of his life. He was born in New Zealand but grew up in Upstate New York, so don't worry if you're confused by his accent! He loves trail running, discovering new music and of course, travelling the globe!

In 2019, we left our lives in Melbourne and moved into the heart of the Australian Outback, to a little place called Alice Springs. We embraced the desert lifestyle for 2 1/2 years, spending most of our time camping, hiking and exploring.

In December 2021, we made a BIG change - we left Australia. Permanently. And that's where we are now - we're travelling full time, slowly and intentionally, and documenting our journey along the way. We have no fixed end date or itinerary and are just letting the journey guide itself.

We've started a little travel blog to track our journey, so if you want to read EVEN MORE about us, you can do so here: https://exploretraveloasis.com/about-us/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exploretraveloasis/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

For us, so much of travelling is about meeting locals! We're not really ones to care about 'ticking the boxes' for local attractions or creating a bucket list of things to see. We love to meet people, have a chat, share stories and learn from each other. This is what travel is about!

We've re-activated my profile (which did lay dormant for many years) so that we can use this platform to meet people and get to see places through a local lens.

Dotti travelled through Central America for a year and a half and Couchsurfing was the most formative part of that experience. I surfed as often as I could, met some of the most incredible people and made life-lasting friends. It was nothing short of amazing and I wish to re-create experiences like this on this new journey we're on.

Interests

• culture
• photography
• festivals
• human rights
• womens rights
• dining
• cooking
• vegetarian
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• music
• live music
• jazz
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• adventure

Music, Movies, and Books

We love so much music and in particular jazz, techno, afro-beat and hip-hop (basically anything authentic with a good beat and a good rhythm). In fact, when we lived in Alice Springs we had a weekly radio show where we got to play all the music we love!

Dotti's a big reader and there are probably too many books to list. Currently, I'm reading at least one book about every country I'm travelling through. I'm currently reading, Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux, which is about his experiencing overlanding Africa.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

We've had so many amazing experiences. On this journey alone, we've got to see a blue whale and a leopard, hike through some of the most beautiful mountains in the world and take one of the most epic roadtrips on the planet. We've also got to travel with my parents, eat so much delicious food and be humbled at how friendly and open people are.

Before embarking on this journey, Dotti completed a solo hike of the Larapinta Trail (231kms) and Zandy completed his first ultra-marathon.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Italy, Nicaragua, South Korea, Turkey, United States

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