CURRENT MISSION

To discover my passions, connect people around the world and discover where my skills best be used.

ABOUT ME

Right now I am back in Cambodia for the 5th time in the past year and a half. Siem Reap has instantly become my Asian home since I went there for the second time in 2013.

I volunteered in Siem Reap for 7 months and worked for travel companies for another 6 months and now I'm enjoying my last time there for awhile before I head to Barcelona to visit one of my best friends.

I've been working for 10 years and in 2013, I felt a compulsion to quit my jobs so I can take the time to immerse myself in a different culture and learn about development among many other things. So I volunteered for seven months with an NGO in Cambodia, an organization I did a cross-Cambodia fundraising bicycle ride with in 2010.

I took a chance to jump into a new and known environment and it was the the best year of my life. Like many people fell in love with Cambodian people. After my term was done, I've been to Laos, Thailand, Mauritius, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia.

I'll never forget the kindness and generosity of so many people I've met during my travels, both locals and other travelers. It reminds me to always be generous with other people without expectation and the world will be generous to you.

I love food, motorcycles, new experiences, learning people's stories, bringing people together with cooking parties and getting lost on the dance floor with electronic music.

PHILOSOPHY

To give without expectation. I don't expect anyone to payment back, they can just pay it forward. We move forward as a community, not as an individual.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been a CS guest in Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines and learn and help my hosts as much as I can. I have cooked with all of my CS hosts so far and we've spent incredible days and nights together watching ladyboy shows, beaching, singing, and going to local hangouts.

When I have my own place in Vancouver again this year I absolutely want to be a couchsurfing host.

INDONESIA

My first CS experience in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in December 2013 and I ended up meeting several university students who were incredible hosts. My days with them were my best days of the three weeks I was in Indonesia.

One of the people I contacted wasn't free to host me, she met up with me and we hung out with her friends who ended up driving me on a motorcycle to Borobudur, accompanying hostel friends of mine and taking us to the local places. It was fantastic.

THAILAND

I had also had my favourite days during my month in Thailand on Mindful Farm, whom I found through CS as well. I met the most open and friendly group of travelers while we spent our days meditating, cooking, and contributing to the farm.

PHILIPPINES

I spent a week in Palawan and we met a wonderful CS host on our second day. She introduced us to 8 other people and we spent every day together for the whole week. We cooked together, danced, took trips, went around the island, saw a ladyboy show and felt like a CS family.

Interests

Having people over for cooking parties, motorcycling long distances, festival dancing, connecting with new people and going to parts of the world that would never be on a tourists' radar.

• culture
• singing
• festivals
• dancing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• vegetarian
• partying
• motorcycles
• traveling
• music
• electronic music
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

I love documentaries and smart movies, basically movies where I can't predict the ending. So American romantic comedies are immediately out for me.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1.Being integrated with my wonderful adopted Cambodian family. They took me in as their family member and I enjoyed doing day to day chores and living life with them.

2. Motorcycled 600 km of the Mae Hong Son mountain loop in Northern Thailand.

3. Drove from Vancouver to Nevada on a standard car (my second time driving) and went to Burning Man in 2011.

4. Stayed on organic vegetarian farms in Northern Thailand where we met the most amazing mix of global explorers and inspiring owners who have created self-sufficient farms.

5. Experiencing the generosity and tremendous hospitality of people around Asia that has motivated me to always be generous in any way I can no matter where I am.

6. New year and wedding celebrations in Cambodia.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love cooking with people! I would love to share recipes and make delicious meals with old and new friends.

I've been really enjoying exchanging travel stories with the people we've been meeting on couch surfing and learning about their lives and their communities.

I still want to learn basic self-defense, how to DJ, djembe beats and how to bring out the best flavours in food.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, Réunion, Scotland, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Cambodia, Canada, Mauritius