CURRENT MISSION

Live a simple life close to nature, and make the time to always enjoy the wonder of childhood with my kids.

ABOUT ME

I'm Jess. After years of customer service and marketing I enjoy being helpful, practical, and I'm a born diplomat. I'm very independent and like to believe I'm fairly capable. Living in Thailand, we don't always have the resources needed to get the job done, so I've become very resourceful over the years. I'm full of random knowledge related to DIY, electronics, action sports, media (photo/video), traveling SE Asia, Thai visas, marketing, and other stuff.
I'm very social, outgoing, loyal, and I'm usually always late. I believe in a 'work hard, play hard' outlook on things, and accountability is big for me. I believe in being positive, trust and integrity, and I try to incorporate and reflect that in my everyday interactions. I love life and enjoy it daily.
I donno, I've always thought it was too hard to try to sum up my life-accumulated personality in a few sentences :/
Treat people as you want to be treated- I just try to live by that.

I live on a small island in Thailand called Koh Lanta. I've got 2 kids, Jay and Mali, and enjoy my simple life nestled up against the jungle.
I recently sold my backpacker hostel, opening up my schedule to pursue different opportunities, working online. I enjoy meeting new people and hearing about their interesting adventures- which I had the privilege of experiencing alot of over the 6 years of owning a hostel.

PHILOSOPHY

"I'd rather regret that I did, than regret that I didnt."

I think in life, it's not as important to be strong, as it is to feel strong.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've been on couch surfing for almost 12 years and love it :)

I signed up because I think this community represents the way things should be. It's the kind of thing a few of my friends would tell me is dangerous and nieve- that I put too much trust in people. But the reality is, I can't live in a world where we're all out to get each other- where I should be watching my back and cant trust anyone I dont know. Forget that. I'd rather get screwed and betrayed trying to help somebody than know that I never tried. So I open my door to people I dont know in support of creating a world where its ok and even expected or encouraged to do so. I've met awesome people so far and look forward to meeting more :)
I dig travelers and relate to most of them more than most of the people I deal with in my daily life so frankly, it's a breath of fresh air.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I like being helpful and I appreciate when others act the same. My favorite surfers have been ones that were always offering to help out and didnt wanna feel like moochers, because that's the type of surfer I am. I love the feeling of helpin people out where I can but when I feel like my effort have just gone unnoticed, it puts out my flame a bit.
It's been such a joy to have surfers who fold their own blankets or offer to help out with the dishes or something- it's not about the dishes, it's the thought that counts. I appreciate when a surfer treats my home like they're my friend visiting, not like it's a hotel with a maid seevice. (And to be fair, most people are awesome and respectful anyway)

Interests

My rockstar of a child, freebording, snowboarding, Buddhism, music, feeding animals, photography, filming, video editing, traveling, drums, ukulele, art, movies, dancing, partying, camping, caving, adventures, hiking, volunteering, animals, chillin with friends, the beach, BBQing, DJing, simple living...

• arts
• photography
• diy
• dancing
• education
• technology
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• volunteer work
• music
• drums
• hiking
• spelunking
• camping
• snowboarding
• buddhist
• sports
• business
• communications
• beaches
• hospitality
• video editing
• drone photography

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
Confessions of an Economic Hitman
The Secret History of the American Empire
The Four Agreements
Mastery of Love
The Voice of Knowledge
How to Win Friends and Influence People
How Children Succeed
And some good ol trashy romances here and there :)

Music:
Bluegrass/rock/jazz/90s/mashups
Jack Johnson

Thaitanium
Sublime
Coldplay
Pink
Post modern Jukebox

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I left my dream job and sold all my 'things' to go live in a 3rd world country and travel without a plan.

but truly? ....getting through the hardships that felt too challenging for me in that moment. losing my best friend suddenly without getting to say goodbye. Those moments when you feel so low you wonder if that feeling truly could stop your heart cuz you couldnt imagine it worse... and then recovering. Feeling down in difficult moments, but smiling and laughing again with confidence that the good in the world WELL outweighs the hardship. Feeling great and loving life does feel like an amazing thing after facing challenges that feel this way, so I felt it worthy of mentioning as it is my truth and I'm proud to be able to do- I encourage everyone to embrace it :)
And if you dont know the moments I'm talking about, then you are amongst the blessed and I hope you celebrate the beautiful life you are living everyday and hug all your cherished ones :)

I've done fun stuff too like the Everest Basecamp trip too, and winning Rider of the Year in my favorite action sport in my younger years ;)

Teach, Learn, Share

When I'm home, I have endless movies and software to share! I've got terabytes of media- a very serious collection, I'm quite the pirate, haha. I guess I'm kinda a geek, so speak computer pretty well in general. Oh, and I'm an English teacher so I've got a lot of methodology under my belt and would be happy to share some great teaching techniques/resources. I'm good for conversation in grass-roots marketing, human relations, travel, this island, Thai visas, hidden corners of Thailand, society, and happiness.
I would love to learn any DIY skills you might have to share. And swapping musical know-how is always fun!
The most valuable thing I would probably want though, is stories of peoples life and travel. Lessons they've learned and crazy situations they've been in.
I would also hope that any host of mine knows they have a place to stay in Thailand if they were ever in the area :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Potential tech support (need something setup or repaired? Want new software?), DIY help, great conversation, friendship, perhaps something brought over from Thailand?

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines, Thailand, United States

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