I'm Eugene. Originally from Auckland, New Zealand. Of Maori descent, in 2015, I transplanted myself to the city that never sleeps, New York City, to live my dream. Since then, I travel often between New York, London and Shiraz, Iran.

I live to travel, connecting with people, and connecting people I meet with people that I know. I'm a lover of life ~ I am all into having fun, and spreading happiness. It makes life a lot simpler! And I love doing things for other people, without expectation.

Professionally, I have teamed up with numerous charities and non-profits in New York and London to teach young women, and less well-off children Hacky Sack, with the core purpose to help them develop motor-skills, amongst other attributes. I also have experience in tax technical policy work, learning and development, HR, consultancy and auditing. I graduated in 2012 with a Masters in International Relations.

In addition to this, I was heavily involved with volunteer work with the Adventure Wellington Meetup group. I became Meetup's first global member, out of 20 million people, to attend 1,000 events with one specific group. I achieved this in just over 3 years, whilst working full-time. As a result, I was invited to address the staff at Meetup Inc HQ in New York last year to give a presentation on this achievement. (see attached link).

http://blog.meetup.com/one-man-one-thousand-meetups/

I am looking into setting up a Foundation for Iranian women, with the purpose of providing a fully funded education for the recipients at an overseas university, hence, my connection with travelling to Iran often.

I can't wait to meet some of you on this journey of mine. And to meet up with some of you when you visit my city, wherever that might be!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To learn and experience different cultures and cities at grass-root levels.
To share stories. To experience new cities the way locals see it.
To share my city with others.
To forge new friendships and spread the word about how a community based initiative has the potential to make this world we live in a kinder place to live in.
To share my happiness with like minded people who are open to inviting strangers into their home.

Interests

People; travel; languages; different cultures; reading; tramping, body surfing, The Law of Attraction; trying new activities and meeting people that are quite different from me.
I am also totally open to learning new skills and sharing experiences.

• culture
• writing
• books
• dining
• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• volunteer work
• socializing
• juggling
• blogging
• surfing
• international relations
• languages
• law
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

I love music ... 1970's & 1980's, generally all genres bar Heavy Metal and Rap!
I'm not a big movie fan, but one of the more inspirational movies I've seen is The Pursuit of Happiness.
The Power of One - Eckhart Tolle, The Five Love Languages ~Gary Chapman.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Giving up my six-figure salary to pursue my dream of living and working in the United States in February 2015. It takes a lot of courage, faith and belief to follow through on an idea. The most amazing aspect of doing this has been finding myself and realising that life is all about the journey.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you juggling, Hacky Sack, Slacklining, some basic Parkour moves.
I can share with you my travel experiences, a bit about the Maori culture and how Hacky Sack has completely changed my world.
I would love to learn from you what your passions are in life, and what motivates you.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My experiences in life. I've travelled for the past 30 years, and lived abroad for 22 years in the USA, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
My passion for the activities, charities, non-profits and start-up groups I'm connected with.
Good company. Good food - I love cooking for people.

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Samoa, San Marino, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, England, New Zealand, United States