CURRENT MISSION

Global human development and cross-cultural exchange.

ABOUT ME

I'm a Fulbright scholar/environmental researcher studying wildfire management and policy in Prek Toal, a floating village/flooded forest on the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia.

My name translates to Banana in Khmer and I'm down to meet interesting people from all over.

PHILOSOPHY

I am an environmentalist and I consider myself very open minded. I believe learning is a continual process, and I love to meet people of all backgrounds and learn of their personal life stories. I believe mankind is living an unsustainable lifestyle and I want to change the world in any way I can. Though as dedicated as I am towards my causes, I always leave room for adventure, for life is too short not to enjoy!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Looking to make friends and share stories to help shape my global perspective while traveling!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None so far, but I am hoping to change that soon! My best friend has surfed in both the UK and China, and I'm hoping to have a similar experience during my travels this summer.

Interests

World travel, climate change, shark diving, ocean conservation, wildlife photography, travel in developing nations, global politics, environmentalism, sustainability, scuba diving, swimming, hiking, camping, kayaking, and learning of different cultures.

• wildlife
• arts
• photography
• causes
• politics
• traveling
• volunteer work
• socializing
• blogging
• hiking
• kayaking
• camping
• scuba diving
• swimming
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm a documentary junkie, my favorite of which is a new one titled Revolution by Rob Stewart. I enjoy reading mostly non-fiction books to educate myself on topics such as the environment and science, in addition to environmental literature (favorites include Into the Wild, Edward Abbey, and Henry David Thoreau among others). I enjoy listening to metal music (namely European melodic metal like In Flames, Insomnium, Gojira etc).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have dove with over 10 species of sharks (actually had the chance to touch a 5 meter great white in South Africa and got knocked back by a bull shark swimming away in Fiji). I once was stranded in the desert of Namibia for a few hours after a car accident caused by an ostrich (don't worry we didn't hit him)! By the end of this year I will have traveled to over 40 different countries (most of which I received funding from my school for academic research).

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach people of the different cultures and different environmental problems throughout the world through my past experiences, and I am a true student of the liberal arts (meaning I am willing to learn anything)! I can share crazy travel stories and I hope to meet people that will help continually shape my world view.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Cambodia, Canada, China, Ecuador, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Oman, Philippines, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Benin, Cambodia, South Africa, United States