Update Nov 2019: Currently planning on traveling around Canada for the winter months, unsure as to where yet (either to Vancouver, Nova Scotia or the Yukon). Will be hoping to be in Australia by the summer for a PhD program, where I'm hoping to start hosting and paying the Couchsurfing community back for the generous help I've received as a penniless backpacker.

I'm a 23 year old from the UK who been in Canada on a working holiday visa since May. After graduating from the University of Manchester in 2018, I spent several months in rural Ireland helping some family out to finish constructing and decorating a new house. I've worked a number of different jobs in the UK and Canada, most recently as a treeplanter in Northern Ontario for the past few months (including a contract at a diamond mine). As an individual, I'm fairly quiet and enjoy my own company, but meeting people through Couchsurfing and hearing about their personal lives and stories has become a highlight of my travels. I'm open to any sort of activity or hobby: I love the outdoors and being active, whether that's hiking, skiing, rock-climbing or anything else, and I've been a long-time fan of rugby and (proper) football. Music's been a big part of my life as a pianist, saxophonist and singer (mostly classical and choral), however having not had the capacity or access to practise while on the road, I'm pretty rusty on the first two. Photography's my biggest passion, focusing mainly on street and urban photography, and I've made the switch to film after spending a few years with digital (currently using a Nikon FM2). I also read a lot when I can - I'm currently reading 'Don Quixote', 'The Age of Reason' by Jean-Paul Sartre and 'The Myth of Sisyphus' by Albert Camus. I'm trying to catch up on the classics, philosophy and history, and I'll be more than willing to trade books from the library I'm carrying with me with anyone I meet.

I try to gear my mentality with travelling towards spontaneity and adventure rather than detailed plans and comfortability - I live day by day with a small budget, and plan as little as I can get away with, since it opens me up to new opportunities I come across and places me in the present moment. I've been lucky to be in the position to travel, and I have my eyes set on visiting as many countries as I can and immersing myself in the local lifestyle. Hitchhiking has been my favourite method of travelling for a while; my biggest hitchhiking trip was in the summer of 2017, when I spent 4 months hitchhiking by myself across North America, covering over 6,000 km, 13 US states and 3 Canadian provinces. Note: If anyone's got any experience trainhopping, I've been dying to learn more about it and try it out. I've also been slowly disconnecting myself from the internet and social media as much as possible, but I'll try to respond to messages as quickly as I can.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

All the experiences I've had with Couchsurfing so far have each been amazing and unique in their own ways, with every host I've come across showing a kindness and generosity that is rare to find in our current climate. Everyone here shares that passion of truly experiencing culture through the eyes of a local rather than a tourist, and Couchsurfing has opened up that often inaccessible world to travelers which I'll forever be grateful for. It's been ideal to meet people so like-minded in our understanding of travel and experiencing different cultures, and I'll never forget the conversations and experiences I've shared so far with the people I've met on here. With my inclination towards booking things last minute, Couchsurfing has been an absolute god-send, with hosts always being completely accommodating and understanding. Everyone has their own story to share, and a big part of why I continue to use Couchsurfing is hearing about the experiences that people have had throughout their lives. Unfortunately we'll never be able to do everything and visit every place we want to in out lifetimes, but through opportunities like Couchsurfing we're able to share these experiences vicariously through one another. I truly hope to be in a position to host people in the future and pay forward all those experiences I've been gifted by others.

Interests

• photography
• music festivals
• environment
• reading
• classical music
• jazz
• hiking
• kayaking
• surfing
• skydiving
• skiing
• history
• philosophy
• physics
• hitchhiking
• solo travel
• adventure
• street food
• climate change
• charity
• classic literature
• street photography
• treeplanting

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite Books: I've recently really enjoyed 'Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia' by Michael Korda,
which provides a fantastically detailed insight into his life. I would recommend reading 'Don Quixote' by Cervantes if you havent' already - it's noted as the first modern novel, and it plays out like a Spanish version of Monty Python.
Favorite Movies: Whiplash, Blade Runner 2049, Roma, Boyhood, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven.
Favorite Music: Like most people I'm fairly eclectic, from alternative to rock to jazz and classical - right now I'm listening to a lot of Bill Evans and Catfish and The Bottlemen, which should illustrate how muddled my music taste is.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I'd say my hitchhiking trip around North America in 2017 was the best travelling experience I've had so far, since it was simultaneously the first time I started using Couchsurfing and travelled entirely by myself, which was something I had been interested in trying for years. The trip epitomised what I enjoy about travelling - spontaneously meeting great people, relying on the kindness of strangers, exploring new places by myself, and a few dangerous and naive experiences to learn from. Sometimes I'd get picked up within an hour and have a fantastic ride and company, and sometimes I'd have to walk for 5+ hours along a highway while people shouted at me driving by - I just appreciated the ups and downs of it all. For the 4 months I travelled, I only spent $1000 CAD, spending no money on accommodation (thanks to Couchsurfing, friends, and strangers I met on the way) and actually managed to spend $0 in the last 2 months (I'm not great at budgeting, so I blew a lot of my money early in Tim Hortons). I gained some great memories along the way, including a free skydiving session, having a tour around an air force base and seeing Air Force One, mountaineering in the Grand Tetons, and experiencing an earthquake in Montana.

Teach, Learn, Share

Of course as a native English speaker I'm always happy to practice English with people if it isn't their first language, and if anyone's looking for some lessons on maths or physics I'd be happy to help, as I used to be a private tutor. Additionally, I can help people looking to work on their photography skills (although I'm no professional). More practically speaking, I know a bit about interior decorating, particularly when it comes to tiling, so if hosts are redecorating I can help with that too.
In terms of learning, there's really an endless amount for me to learn. Currently, I'm really interested in refreshing my programming skills (especially in Python and GIS) for any potential PhD, as well as learning new outdoor and construction skills. Learning how to sail has been on my mind for a while, since I'd like to pick up some work on a boat down south, and as I'm looking to get my motorbike license next year, anybody who has experience in those two departments I'd love to hear from. Languages are also an area I need to work on: I used to study Mandarin, but I've lost most of it over the years. Getting back to practising Chinese, as well as learning Japanese and Spanish, are on my radar for next year.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Mostly, I love to spend time with my hosts - I completely agree that Couchsurfing is not just 'free accommodation' for cheap travellers. Engaging with my host and choosing to immerse myself in their local lifestyle is important to me, and I've always taken something away from the conversations I've shared with them. I'm always game for anything the host wants to do or share with me in terms of a local experience, whether it's going out to a local sports game, a friend's house party, or just hanging out somewhere. If any host has any potential unique work opportunities in the area, I'd be interested in hearing them. I'm not fussy in the slightest about food or sleeping situations, I'm just grateful for what you guys can give me. And I'm no Gordon Ramsey, but if I can get the right ingredients, I'll try and cook up my favourite Malay dish - Char Kuey Teow - that I always get when I visit family.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Northern Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, England, Ireland