ABOUT ME

Hi! My name is Emily, thanks for checking out my profile. I'm currently living in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada's Silicon Valley. I work for a B2B ad agency.

My current mission - I am getting married soon, but I have always traveled on my own ever since I was in my early 20's. Soon I will always have my partner with me, if not a family in tow! I want to do one last solo trip, and I am going to see the Grand Canyon in Arizona in October.

I love travel, seeing new places, and meeting new people. I've done a few rad things in my day - skated Venice Beach in L.A., and skated on the banked track with the L.A. Derby Dolls' fresh meat. I have tried surfing in Tofino, B.C., and again in Byron Bay (Australia), drove the Cabot trail in the East Coast of Canada, explored the Mayan ruins in Mexico, and toured the Kansai region of Japan, learned to ride a motorbike in Cambodia (thanks to the assistance of 3 Apsaras), hitch-hiked with a Buddhist monk in Vietnam, and the adventure continues...this time maybe with you :-)

PHILOSOPHY

Trust in the universe.

You get out what you put in.

That which you seek is also seeking you.

PROFILE READ-CHECK

Every time I get a couch request, unless I am out of town (which happens frequently) I seriously consider whether or not I can host you. Since I give each request serious consideration, I hope that anyone who messages me has ready my profile. In order to demonstrate this, please include the name of my favourite plant, Podrick, at the start of your request. If you ask Podrick and I if you can surf our couch, we will be much more likely to respond quickly ;-)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

When I first joined couchsurfing, I was traveling to Japan. A lot of great people took a chance on me and my traveling partner and hosted us. It was a great experience. When I got back I wanted to pay it forward, so I hosted as much as I could. I bought a pull-out couch especially for couchsurfers.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

In Japan my travel partner and I stayed with several very different people. One of our hosts had an entire house devoted to couchsurfers. It was a very strange but exciting experience to follow the photo-directions he had given us precisely to his house, use his key, and essentially enter a stranger's house in a different country. It was the first time we had seen Japanese style walls - (sliding doors as walls). Things got even better when we finally met the man in person, and also met other couchsurfers staying at the house. It was like the friendliest hostel you have ever stayed at times two.

I went to Whistler, B.C. for the first time many years ago with a friend. We stayed with some of her friends in the Whistler village, at the peak of their experience in the `whistler bubble.` I will always remember how amazing it was to be welcomed wholeheartedly into their world of snowboarding, partying, and relaxing as if we had always been old friends. One girl lent me her snowboarding gear and her friends taught me to ride powder in the alpine on Whistler Mountain! It was so amazing to meet such fun, genuine people and experience a few days in their lifestyle. I hope one day I can pay this forward to someone. I think this is what `couchsurfing` is all about.

I really enjoy hosting surfers especially when I can't travel myself. I want to be able to contribute positively to someone else's adventure until I embark on one of my own. I think that the most meaningful travel experiences come from connections with local people and the kindness of strangers.

Interests

I have retired from my roller derby team but I am still a derby girl at heart and will always love roller derby with a passion. I've since taken up rock climbing. I want to learn to play the guitar & sing more too. Cam and I write children's songs for my nephew.

• singing
• beer
• partying
• drinking
• traveling
• guitar
• surfing
• snowboarding
• rock climbing
• track and field
• beaches
• climbing
• roller derby

Music, Movies, and Books

Books I am reading: Shopping for Votes & The Ghost Map

Love Orange is the New Black & Nashville on Netflix!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Roller Derby

Teach, Learn, Share

As a host I can recommend good places to see and good local beers to drink...

In Toronto, a few easy to get local beers would be Mill Street (Organic, Tankhouse, etc), Creemore Springs, Steamwhistle, Conductor Ale, Amsterdam Blonde, and many many more microbreweries popping up every day.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada

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