We are Oussama and Jacalyn (or Jax). We are a couple of backpackers. We both left our jobs to pursue a dream and changed our lifestyles. Our travel philosophy is to go with the flow of things and allow life to develop organically. And at the core of our philosophy is the desire to experience new cultures and to do that in an authentic manner. The idea of couchsurfing with a local and learning about their life is very exciting and will be meaningful for us both.

I'm a huge animal lover and would be thrilled to find a host that has them! I'm from a small town in Upstate New York, USA and am very comfortable in far settings. But I've always had animals, cats, dogs, reptiles, fish and would be really excited to take care of your animals. I also have a passion to grow things, love caring for plants.(Jax) I am somewhat artistic and love to paint.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Part of our traveling philosophy is to have an authentic nature about how we interact with the place we visit. Couchsurfing would help us achieve this goal. We are looking to be a part of an uplifting and supportive community of backpackers and lovers of travel. We hope to one day have a guesthouse of our own and host travelers of our own.

Music, Movies, and Books

It's hard to choose one specific genre of music that I love because there's so much good music out there. I enjoy all kinds of music styles and time periods. But a good choice that fits me well would be Johnny Cash. My favorite book would have to be "The Hobbit" by J.R.R.Tolkien. I couldn't choose just one so two of my favorite movies are "Princess Bride" and "The Big Lebowski". (Jacalyn)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I was given the opportunity to excavate a Byzantine tomb in Jordan when I was in college 2004 . That summer I learned a lot about archaeology and the culture I was immersed in. That experience made me want to travel all my life. 15 years later for me and I have the opportunity to travel again. I'm so thankful and looking forward to what I will learn from this experience. (Jacalyn)

Teach, Learn, Share

I come from a teaching background working as an instructor for the American Red Cross. I've been a phlebotomist (one person who draws blood )for 9 years I've had numerous positions in which training people was a responsibility. Teaching seems to come naturally to me. I have a desire to learn new things. My ultimate hope is to incorporate different things I learn abroad into my own life so that I may be a well-balanced and fulfilled person.

Ousama is a natural leader. He has a passion to learn new things and is currently learning English. He's the idea behind us traveling through South East Asia. He has a vision of a simpler life and the importance of the experience. Learning about new cultures and sharing with the world those experiences is a fundamental part of this travel ideology.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We would like to share our culture with you. Our points of view and how we see the world. We'd like to share a meal or two with you and get to know you.

We'd like to share any skills and knowledge that we have along to you.

We also travel around with a little bit of Morocco in our packs in the form of oils. We'd love to share what we have.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Greece, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Morocco, United States