CURRENT MISSION

To assist in proving that the world is inherently kind, trusting, and generous!

ABOUT US

We are childhood friends who spent our summers at camp together in the wilderness. We eventually grew to run the non-profit camp (www.lighthouselanding.ca) for people with Autism and fell madly in love with each other. We both try to live our lives free of cognitive dissonance. Meaning, if we believe it, we live it. Thus, we believe in the value of long-term travel, we believe in giving freely of one's time and talents, and we believe in community and an ongoing process of learning and unlearning. And to us, this is what CS is all about.

PHILOSOPHY

We believe the meaning of life is to find lasting happiness and to live with compassion. Thus we have pursued a personal journey in the field of Positive Psychology and Philosophy which has also let us to a vegan lifestyle. As of 2024, we have not consumed meat for 20 years and are thriving.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We educate people all the time on the philosophy of CS and host and surf with this fantastic community.

Hosted:
Mitchel from USA
Marilee from Canada
Jono from New Zealand (through WorkAway)
Alex from Spain
Vojta from Netherlands
Ardy from Canada/India
Greg from Canada

Surfed with:
Irshad in Delhi, India
Anil in Lucknow, India
Andrea in El Progreso, Honduras
Andy in Tela, Honduras
Robert in La Guama, Honduras
Jorge in Siquatepeque, Honduras
Odiar in La Esperanza, Honduras

We are also a part of other sharing communities including WorkAway and WorldPackers where we have hosted over 20 people from many countries.

Interests

- Learning (by lecture, books, experience or documentary)
- Playing the guitar, piano, singing
- Volunteering
- Spending time outdoors (hiking, swimming, canoeing etc.)
- Playing and coaching sports (hockey, basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee)
- Cooking vegan foods from different cultures

• books
• singing
• design
• documentaries
• cooking
• exercise
• running
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• backpacking
• canoeing
• camping
• sports
• basketball
• volleyball
• swimming
• psychology
• volunteering
• long-term travel

Music, Movies, and Books

Our favourite artists are Jack Johnson, Imagine Dragons, and Walk Off The Earth! We also enjoy Brett Dennon.

Books: We have been reading a lot from the field of Positive Psychology lately (Authentic Happiness - Seligman, Happier - Sahar, Happiness - Ricard, Happiness Hypothesis - Haidt etc.) We have also been influenced by financial lifestyle books like - Your Money or Your Life and Radical Simplicity.
Nutrition: How Not To Die - Dr. Gregor
Vegan: YouTube (Mic. The Vegan, Earthling Ed).
Documentaries: What the Health, Cowspiracy, How Not to Die, Game Changers

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

www.jimandalyssa.blogspot.com

This is our 3-month trip through Central America!

www.jimandalyssa.wordpress.com

4-months through India, Nepal, Thailand!

www.backpackingbaby.org
4-month trip through Central America with our baby.

Teach, Learn, Share

Something I enjoy teaching people is that HAPPINESS is a skill and not an uncontrollable disposition. I teach people about the skills and practices towards lasting happiness like:
1. Optimsm
2. Gratitude
3. Volunteering
4. Mindfulness (present moment thinking)
5. Exercise
6. Nutrition
etc. etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nepal, Nicaragua, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada

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