I'm Gregory, an American author and international traveler who has been refurbishing an old house in Kalavan village in the Gegharkunik province of Armenia, located less than an hour from Dilijan and Ijevan. I would now like to continue establishing The Kalavan Retreat Center as a thriving community model for extended stays from locals and foreigners alike who seek the freedom to live as they want.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To connect with people who can improve Armenia and our local environment with their intelligence, skills, and diverse cultural influence. I also have a profile on Workaway for people who want to stay long-term and volunteer: https://www.workaway.info/en/host/998775142722

Interests

• cats
• writing
• books
• education
• music
• books and movies

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was a digital nomad for many years and have traveled to more than 50 countries. My house has good wifi through Vivacell. There are occasionally short power outages during bad weather, but the wifi has a battery backup.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a globally experienced English teacher. My last book, Our Global Lingua Franca (https://www.amazon.com/Our-Global-Lingua-Franca-Educators/dp/B0CGKNSJ69), is all about common flaws in the way we teach and try to learn English. If you stay in my house, I will certainly be quick to correct all your small English mistakes and help you gain a more dynamic command of the language.

You will learn a great deal about business, economics, the English language, and overcoming cultural limitations among rural Armenians to bring development to remote locations. I am an author on many of these subjects, and my intention is for my house to be a beacon and safe haven for freethinkers in Armenia. I've learned over the last five years of living here how many people feel suppressed living here and are seeking a place to get away from coercive expectations. I want to be one of the first organizations in Armenia actively offering them that opportunity.