Hi there! My name is Jarryn, and I'm a consultant and social impact designer in the not-for-profit sector. I work in the fields of education, human rights, behavioural change communications and social innovation. I'd like to think I'm a nice guy, with a wicked sense of humour and a love for culture, art and history.

Just so that you know, my house is a safe space - people of all religions, ethnic groups, socio-economic backgrounds, gender identities and sexual orientations are welcome :-) I look forward to meeting you all!

I prefer to host surfers for skills exchange, so please feel free to read the 'Teach/Learn/Share' paragraph or the 'What I can offer' paragraph below for ideas. I get tons of requests, so a thoughtless or hurried request or one without any mention of why you think couchsurfing at my place specifically might be a great fit for you are unlikely to be successful. I would also prefer that my guests are reliable, punctual, neat, friendly, open-minded, organised and willing to hang out - hosting is an enormous priviledge, but also hard work, and I think setting the right expectations is key to creating a mutually satisfying experience.

Please also read further in my 'About My Home' section before making a request.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am looking to make new friends and find buddies to travel with! I'm a long term location-independant worker, so am super happy to share my space with others when they and I have mutual interests and respect for one another. =)

Interests

• literature
• human rights
• movies
• traveling
• cuisine
• museums
• city trips

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've worked for some of the biggest human rights and civil society organisations in the world - both on-staff and as a consultant - on projects protecting and defending human rights across a broad spectrum of issues.

Some of the campaigns and products that my colleagues and I have designed and launched have led to real change (both socially and legislatively) on at least three continents! It's pretty mind-blowing to see your work have that kind of impact.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm super keen to learn new things - at the moment, anybody who could offer their time and expertise to teach me how to properly ride a bike or swim (I have fine motor skill problems, so have got all the way to adulthood without properly learning these two crucial life skills!) or any type of massage or bodywork that I do not already have a grounding in (I have some expertise in Swedish, deep tissue and sports massage and trauma release bodywork) would be most welcome for an accommodation-for-skills swap :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Things I can teach:

*I'm great at explaining certain aspects of human rights and social justice. While I am not a lawyer and cannot provide legal advice, I can help people to a certain degree in understanding subjects like minority and immigrant rights, sexual and reproductive rights (I am also a comprehensive sexual health educator!) and LGBTIQ rights, or at least point them in the direction of the resources to help them figure it out!

*I am a registered bodywork practitioner, and have certification in sports, deep tissue and fascial release massage. I don't do it for work though! It is just something I am fascinated by - I had always wanted to be a psychologist or a physiotherapist, and I am deeply interested in how the body holds emotion in its physical structure. At the moment I am completing a qualification in fascial release, and need to do 60 hours of practical work, so if you are willing to be my lab dummy and then fill out some feedback forms do shout :-)

*I have some experience as a digital nomad and consultant, so can give some (informal) advice on how to pursue either of those career paths, that has been relevant to my own personal journey.