ABOUT ME

ME: I grew up in small-town central Ontario in a place called Penetanguishene, with a population of roughly 8000 people. I've always been quite close with my family, which includes my mom, dad and brother who is 6 years older than me. Growing up at home, I definitely appreciated the laid-back pace and the summers, spending countless hours at the beach, my cottage on Georgian Bay and sailing (I taught it for 4 years as well). Quickly, though, things started to feel a little too small and slow. I moved to Montreal to study and have been here for 6 years now. I love the multiculturalism of Montreal, the European feel (boulangeries/patisseries/bring-your-own-wine restaurants/cobble-stone) as well as the vibrant arts scene. I like checking out new art exhibits, film festivals (namely the famous Montreal Jazz Festival)and generally being surrounded by good people, conversation, food and wine. My intests include cooking, literature/poetry, languages, music, sexual diversity, the environment and an increasing interest in food politics, among other things. I'm looking forward to meeting new people across Europe and sharing food, wine, thoughts and languages. KIRA: I was born in Manitoba, moved to southern Ontario at the age of 6, and then to Montreal at the age of 18. I studied History and Political Science at McGill and come September will be a grad student in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto. I've always been passionate about school and learning and books and I ultimately hope to be a professor and writer. I too have fallen head over heels in love with Montreal, the culture, the people, and the city. I have never been to Europe before so I'm looking forward to visiting all the sites I've read about in books, to exploring different cultures, working on my French and my (very basic) German.

PHILOSOPHY

The unexamined life is not worth living. LIfe is too short to be boring!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I think that couch surfing is a pretty great organizing and it has been referred to me by a number of other like-minded friends/travellers. My current aparment is quite small and doesn't really allow me to host anyone but I'm certainly interested in being a tour guide for others who are in Montreal. I'd like to host travellers in the future but, for now, I'm looking to visit other in their cities.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I am new to couch surfing! We are traveling right now but in September will be living in Toronto and eager to host anyone who wants to come to Canada!

Interests

Kira: My interests include reading and writing, music, discussing ideas; food, music, going to concerts, wandering the streets, and kitchen dance parties!

• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• literature
• poetry
• concerts
• festivals
• film festivals
• dancing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• nightlife
• partying
• politics
• technology
• reading
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• surfing
• sailing
• teaching
• history
• languages
• political science
• science
• tourism
• historic sites
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Kira: Reading is one of my biggest passions and I always find it hard to make lists of my favourite books, but here goes...David Foster Wallace - Infinite Jest. Diane Ackerman - A Natural History of the Senses. Robert Pirsig - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Dostoevsky - The Brothers Karamazov. Steinbeck - East of Eden. Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby. Lev Gossman - The Magicians. JK Rowling - Harry Potter. Jeffrey Eugenides - Middlesex. Jonathan Franzen - The Corrections. Barbara Kingsolver - The Poisonwood Bible. Jostein Gaardner - Sophie's World. Philip Roth - American Pastoral. Louis Menand - The Metaphysical Club. Michael Cunningham - Speciman Days.
The list could go on but I'll spare you!
Music: Bob Dylan, The Arcade Fire, Beirut, Andrew Bird, Devendra Banhart, Miles Davis, Timber Timbre, Charlie Parker, Broken Social Scene, The National, The Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, Modest Mouse, Explosions in the Sky, Do Make Say Think, Sigur Ros, The Black Keys, Regina Spektor, Fleet Foxes, Santana, The Dodos, Plants and Animals, Janis Joplin, Ella Fitzgerald, Otis Redding, Led Zeppelin
Movies: American Beauty, Across the Universe, Citizen Kane, Dr. Strangelove, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Last Waltz, Juno, Kill Bill, Waking Life, Strangers with Candy, Zoolander, Stranger than Fiction, Superbad, Love Actually, The Lives of Others, C.R.A.Z.Y., Brokeback Mountain, Austin Powers

Teach, Learn, Share

We both love to cook and are happy to cook delicious meals for our hosts! Both interested in passionate conversations, in seeing both the historical sites/museums of cities and the nightlife.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Hungary, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada