I am doing my second degree at UBC in applied biology. I study food, agriculture, and natural resource conservation. I am a vegetarian and a bit of a food nerd. I like to roast my own coffee, bake my own bread, can my own fruits, jams, sauces, etc. I love food! I fancy myself a bit of an environmentalist, I guess, as well. I try to be conscious of how we're treating the Earth and its implications on future generations. I want to get my P.Ag and work with government, assisting farmers to make better decisions and manage resources properly.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Well, met some German girls back in '08 who introduced me to the site and the concept. Met them in Vancouver and then a few months later they happened to pass my way (Calgary) and stay a few nights on their cross-Canada trip. It's a neat idea, and I wish my situation right now could allow for more hosting.

Interests

Food. Food. Food. Who doesn't love awesome food?!

I grew up on a dairy farm in Ontario, so it's funny I've come full circle back to agriculture. I transferred to UBC from U of Calgary specifically for the Land and Food Systems faculty. I entered into nutrition but switched to applied biology after concluding the health of the planet takes precedence over our own individual health. Of course, we're important, too, but continue on the road we're on with agriculture's heavy and disastrous effects on this planet and there won't be any need for dietitians or nutritionists as we'll all be gone :/ What and how we eat says a lot about ourselves and how we want to treat animals, farmers, the Earth, etc., which is why I am vegetarian and eat minimal dairy while trying to support local farmers, CSAs, urban farmers, etc. I try to be very self sufficient, as well. Just hours before I wrote this I pickled some beans from the garden I manage at my university. I also bake bread, brew kombucha, roast my own coffee, can my own jam, satay sauce, pasta sauce, relish, etc. It's time consuming but very rewarding and important to me...and also super fun! I can wander through kitchen stores for hours! :-)

• animals
• dining
• coffee
• vegetarian
• gardening
• scuba diving
• agriculture
• biology

Music, Movies, and Books

Books - not much of a reader unless you count uni textbooks. If I do read, I'd rather it be non-fiction.

Movies - LA Confidential, Scent of a Woman, Good Will Hunting, The Departed, The Sting, Dazed and Confused, Birdman, American Beauty, to name a few...

Music - a new band, a new genre, every day. One of the tragedies of life is that somewhere there is a band or a sound you'd fall in love with, but you'll never hear it, simply because of how much amazing music there is in this world.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've dived in the Great Barrier Reef, cenotes in Mexico, Fiji, the Whitsundays, and I never want to stop diving.

I've kissed the Blarney Stone.

I've been to every province in Canada (except Manitoba, but I'll get that off the bucket list one day)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Fiji, Ireland, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada

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