Hi - I am a 29-year old Canadian guy currently travelling with my girlfriend, Marie (also from Canada, but the French part). We've been dating for six years, and quit our jobs as a lawyer and accountant in July 2019 to explore all that the world has to offer. We've lived the corporate life and it was okay for a bit, but at a certain point we realized we needed to take advantage of being young and childless to live this dream before we retired at 65.

Travelling has always been a passion of ours - we actually met while we were both on a university exchange to Singapore, and our first date was a 10-day trip to Sri Lanka. We especially love exploring the outdoors, trying new foods and being immersed in different cultures. We're both ones to do things as authentically as possible, and would happily take the local bus over a taxi any day.

Besides travelling, I am a lover of all things sports-related, canoe-tripping in the Canadian wilderness, cooking (and food generally) and reading (especially historical fiction). Marie isn't so much of a sports fan, but also enjoys cooking and reading (though her interests trend more toward geopolitics, health science and mindfulness). We both like to party, but it isn't a central focus of our trip by any means, and we're happy just having a beer (or three), coffee, tea, or a lassi...we're pretty adaptable to our surroundings.

Marie’s instagram: @msoleilpa

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Despite having travelled a bunch in the past, I initially gravitated toward the hostel life and, as Marie and I began to travel together, would often go for some sort of private option. Having been on this long-term trip for a few months now, though, we think that Couchsurfing can help us to appreciate the local way of life more than we already are. I usually do a lot of research when travelling trying to scope out the local spots and understand the city and the people, but you can't really replicate the experience of spending time with the people who live there.

By joining Couchsurfing, we're really looking for more than just a bed and the goal is to surf with someone who would be willing to spend some time with us (even for just a few hours) and share their normal life.

Marie’s account on couchsurfing is: Marie-Soleil Paradis

Interests

• festivals
• cooking
• politics
• reading
• music
• live music
• sports
• geopolitics
• food
• travelling
• outdoors
• netflix
• beers
• current affairs

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - Classic Rock, Indie Folk, Bluegrass, Showtunes, Disney Songs, EDM.

Movies - Gladiator, Goodfellas, Les Intouchables, Avatar, Tarantino Films, Apocalypse Now, Documentaries (especially Planet Earth / Our Planet).

Books - The Goldfinch, Malcolm Gladwell, the Alchemist, Jitterbug Perfume, Orphan Master's Son, 1984, Brave New World, City of Thieves, Freakonomics, The Catcher in the Rye, The Kite Runner, Prisoners of Geography, Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, Pachinko, etc.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Not sure I've done anything truly "amazing", but I did once summit a 6,000 meter peak in Bolivia which at the time felt pretty awesome.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach English and Western-style cooking (homemade bread, fresh pasta, etc.), would similarly love to learn new languages and how to cook different cuisines, and I'm also interested in sharing a good meal or beverage along with some stories.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I don't really have a bunch of tangible things to share with people, but I'm an easy-going, authentic guy, who definitely won't step on your toes and I'm always open to chatting about my country, former job, interests, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, United States, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Singapore