CURRENT MISSION

To be fully present and tuned into universal wisdom
To be a champion of peace, love, and understanding
To be liberated in the face of my fears and suffering
To be accountable for my own mind, body, and spirit
To be impeccable with my word, not take anything personally, not make assumptions, and always do my best

EDUCATION

I completed my Bachelors degree in Graphic Design at UC Davis (Northern California) in 2009. I originally planned to become an optometrist and went through junior college for a few years getting lower division courses done. I ended up getting my Associates degree in both Biology and Chemistry with the curriculum of classes I took. I transferred to UC Davis, but a couple quarters in, I realized that path did not align with my heart, and I decided to take some time off to figure out what I actually wanted. Luckily, UC Davis offered Graphic Design. I committed myself to that major, love it, and also worked as a part time graphic assistant for a nonprofit organization, also enjoying it.

CAREER

After graduation, I did some traveling much to fill my visual library, and upon my return I was blessed to get a job with a start up company, KlickNation, that developed Facebook RPG games! I was a junior Web Designer that quickly evolved into a respected User Interface Designer. KlickNation was eventually acquired by Electronic Arts, and I'm lucky to be one of the few employees still around from the original start up.

PHILOSOPHY

Our time on this planet is incredibly precious! Life is not always going to give us exactly what we want, but yet we each still have the power to achieve personal happiness. There is so much beauty in the world that each new day has the potential to transform us. The people we meet and the relationships we form along our journey especially have such a profound ability to catalyze our personal growth.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

It's a bit funny how I was introduced to Couchsurfing. In a Graphic Design class project, we were randomly given articles to use for the assignment, and one of my other classmates actually got the article about CS and I thought it was a little unorthodox after she described it. However, I quickly had a change of heart after traveling out of country for the first time - I really wanted to expose myself to new and exciting frontiers. My first Couchsurfing experience was being hosted by incredible family in Singapore who graciously let me stay for a month! It was such a life changing experience that Couchsurfing will always have a place in my heart.

Interests

I love technical, scientific, worldly, and philosophical things in life. That's really the reason I wanted to study biology and pursue that route, but there must be a major force inside that drives me towards the more creative side. I spend hours and hours on the computer editing photos, websites, and other design related material.

My personal portfolio website:
http://www.TheUIWhoLovedMe.com/

Music, Movies, and Books

I live for epic movie & video game soundtracks! In my head, Hans Zimmer is composing the symphony for my waking life. But I also love quiet - the space to explore my dreams and aspirations, evolve my philosophies, meditate, and balance inner peace.

My small library is mostly comprised of visual and design reference. However, I love a good spy fiction filled with sophistication, suspense, and sabotage. Lately, I have been seeking out different spiritual philosophies to cultivate my own wisdom.

My creative nature always yearns for some tinkering. I have lost many hours of sleep modifying electronic devices, tuning and fletching arrows for archery, color-coordinating my survival gear, and mounting a solar panel system to the roof of my Jeep.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lost my wife in Oct 2016 to sepsis very shortly after we were married. I knew in my heart that I needed to do something substantial to process the grief, and decided to quit my job and move back home with my family in Sacramento, CA where I prepared for a couple of months to take a cross country journey to find spiritual healing and re-evaluate the direction of my life. I was on the road for nearly five months, and discovered so much more than I could have ever expected from all the experiences I have had, people I've met, and places I've visited.

I tracked my entire trip progress here:
https://www.polarsteps.com/NathanielFong

I also kept a running list of all of the things that I have seen and done:
http://www.evernote.com/l/ADjDIiAz_StJIJ6AirqBX_ULNlMCO6Z8Qf8

Teach, Learn, Share

By association, I have picked up understanding of all sorts of alternative medicine and healing modalities. I firmly believe that for any chronic issue (whether it be mental, physical, or spiritual), there's a natural method of treatment. I have personally experienced how much Western medicine has become such a money making industry, so much so that it no longer truly serves to heal us.

What I Can Share with Hosts

As a guest, I'm pretty self-sufficient. I can bring everything I need to get by, including but not limited to my toiletries, towel, soap + shampoo. All I really need is a safe place to park my Jeep overnight (without getting ticketed/towed) and use of a bathroom + shower. I can also provide my own sleeping bag + mat and pillow to crash on the floor. Also, I have definitely enjoyed treating my host to a beer and/or meal at the very least!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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