"Keep moving, keep improving."

Hello! I'm a Toronto ex-pat, now in my happy place in Ottawa (with a layover in Montreal and a jaunt to Yukon).

When I'm not planning my next road trip to Quebec or Toronto, you'll find me in transit between teaching piano, helping out at *yet another* Toastmasters event, or scheduling the next homestay guests.

I've taken a number of domestic trips since COVID hit. The only provinces I haven't visited are Manitoba and Newfoundland. I intend to change that this summer!

My last CS stay was in August 2023, in Ghent, Netherlands. Before then, in October 2018 I CouchSurfed in Flint, Michigan, attending a water quality conference about the city's 2016 lead contamination crisis.

One trip that has forever coloured my interactions: In the summer of 2018, I spent eight weeks in Yukon Territory and British Columbia for my Master's Research Project. There, I attended various cultural festivals and spoke with a wide representation of Indigenous artists on how culture is helping with the Indigenous reconciliation movement in Canada.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My best memories of my travels have come from spending time with people, often CouchSurfers. I like to think of it as a personal contribution to society, my unofficial passport to the world. It's good to be reminded that there are people that look out for one another.

Interests

I'm getting into podcasts [The Daily (NY Times) and The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti (CBC)].

Ethnic foods, and the never-ending quest for iconic foods for everywhere I visit.

Gordon Ramsey's turkey dinner spread.

• animals
• culture
• dining
• movies
• reading
• socializing
• puzzles
• music
• backpacking
• sports
• soccer
• tennis
• swimming

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

See the Northern Lights
-in a plane en route to Iceland
-in broad daylight
-they were dancing green.

Survive eight weeks in Yukon Territory. Met incredibly colourful people, attended vibrant arts and culture festivals, was welcomed into First Nations communities. Our car stalled in the bush, internet and cellphone reception was unreliable, and we lived to tell the tale.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd be happy to share my knowledge of English, French, Chinese, and music with you!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Improvising piano tunes on the spot :P
Ethnic/fusion Chinese dishes

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United States