*I'll be travelling from July 12 - August 14 and won't be able to meet up in Victoria then. Such is the summer of a teacher! :)

I'm a high school English teacher and avid life-long traveller, currently pursuing a Masters degree in Education with a focus on citizenship education in Canada. If writing my thesis this time around doesn't kill me, I'll be considering a PhD abroad. To admit the school I've my eye on at this point would seem near-Napoleonic in ambition.

In terms of hosting, I'm going to have to work things out with my 5 housemates before I commit! Renting a big old house with five other women (young professionals all, trying to make a go of the Victoria real estate market) means I'll be very used to whatever couch surfing abroad brings - but I'll only be able to provide daytime tours and help to surfers in town for a while.

To prove I'm a legit person, not a clever bot, here's my Linked-in:

www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-elbert

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

While I'm still living the globe-trotting life, most of my dear friends and former travel buddies have got mortgages and new babies keeping them pretty tied to home. Although I've travelled on my own before, I've found it's a lot more fun if you have someone to share experiences with along the way. My sister swears by the couch surfing experience, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm hoping to meet local folks wherever I go to get a sense of 'real life', and to share my own city with visitors when they come my way.

Interests

I'm passionately interested in a lot of quiet things, apparently. I love to read, and to discuss literature from the great dramatists to the latest poet. I won't claim to be an expert, but I'm always ready for a chat over coffee or wine. I worked my way through uni with wedding photography. Through my degree in English and Psych, I always said I was accessing Philosophy - without all the heavy readings. Local history and world history both fascinate me and part of why I travel is to appreciate the variety and continuity and ingenuity inherent in our human experience. I love to stand in places where the ancients made history simply by living their day-to-day.

I can usually be found catching up on Last Week Tonight or Seth's Closer Look online with a strong cup of coffee or a stronger cup of tea depending on the time of day. In the past few years I've taken up ballroom dance, and may compete if I work up the courage before my parents' stellar genes kick in and my knees fail me completely. If you're at all connected with the world of physics, be warned: I may spend the evening asking you to explain the beginnings of space and time.

As much as I'm a storyteller, I love to listen. I'd love to meet up and swap stories!

• culture
• writing
• books
• literature
• poetry
• singing
• architecture
• photography
• ballroom dancing
• classical music
• archeology
• art history
• teaching
• history
• wine tourism
• storytelling
• film
• metaphysics
• ancient history
• museums
• space
• local history
• teaching english

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm not going to admit how much time I've invested in Netflix with my roommates - the day they added Midsomer Murders was the end of me leaving the house in the evening.

Right now I'm reading through Napoleon the Great by Andrew Roberts...and given my progress I feel sure I won't have to update this for a couple years...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

This is one of those prompts that suddenly makes everything one has achieved in life feel hopelessly average. I've traveled to the far reaches, overcome minor fears and impossibilities, worked hard to win scholarships, and generally enjoyed my life immensely. Everything has felt pretty amazing.

Or how about this: one frigid January, while running a two-week drama-based English course for teenagers just outside of Seoul, I adapted a script of The Emperor's New Groove and made costumes out of felt, staples, and stickers. The Llama King was epic. The production was, if not amazing, definitely hilarious.

Teach, Learn, Share

I seriously love to teach the basics of ballroom, and did in fact teach the first few levels through our rec centers here for a while. Now I mostly subject my grade 10 English classes to lessons, under the guise of learning about meter in poetry. If you want to dance the waltz, cha cha, swing, tango, rumba, or foxtrot - I'm there!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories. Grammar? Dance lessons! Anything, I suppose, your average high school English teacher brings to the table. And since most people seem to talk about the offer of food: I can't. I'm a completely rubbish cook, other than passable omelettes. I'm afraid my gratitude will come without a home-cooked meal.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, China, Egypt, England, Estonia, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada