About US!

We’re Nikky and Sam, an international duo back on the road after several years away from travel! This time, we’re tackling the Pan-American Highway, driving our rusty-but-trusty van, Mo, from Alaska to Argentina—a journey we expect to take two years.

Nikky, originally from the UK, is a passionate landscape and nature photographer, while Sam is a skilled woodworker and avid fisherman. We met in Calgary, Canada, and eventually made our way to the Yukon, where we spent four years living in a cabin— hauling water, and embracing the long winters. But after one too many subzero mornings, we decided it was time to head south in search of sunshine and new adventures.

We thrive on new experiences, new cultures, and the simple joys of life on the road. Whether it’s finding the perfect campsite, swapping travel stories, or learning a local skill, we’re always up for an adventure!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

For us, travel isn’t just about seeing places—it’s about the people we meet along the way. We love to meet local people and avoid typical tourist areas! If we see English on the sign we often walk in the other direction!

We’re always up for swapping road trip tales, learning about local culture, and making new friends. If you have a place where we can crash or even just a driveway where Mo can rest for the night, we’d love to hear from you!

Interests

Nikky: Aside from travelling my passion in life in photography. I am an avid landscape and nature photographer and it’s a dream of mine to do it as a career.

I also love all things psychology, random science facts and music (rock, heavy metal and folk). I sang in a competition accapella choir and I'm currently learning Spanish and German.

Sam: Originally from Switzerland, Sam came to Canada seeking open landscapes and wilderness. He loves being outdoors - whether that’s fishing, setting up a campfire or doing bushcraft. Fishing is Sam’s passion in life along woodworking. He’s a qualified carpenter and could talk for hours about trees and wood! Sam is fascinated with history and always has a few tidbits of historical knowledge to share.

• animals
• photography
• reading
• traveling
• music
• fishing
• hiking
• swimming
• psychology
• nature
• wild camping
• van life

Music, Movies, and Books

Our music tastes are varied. We both started out loving rock and heavy metal but as time progresses we find ourselves listening to many different genres - English and Scottish folk, country and western etc. We have a PanAmerican playlist on Spotify where we save our favourite songs we discover on our journey!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Dipped our feet in the frozen Arctic Ocean

Lived in a dry cabin with no running water in temperatures down to -45c

Touched a wild polar bears nose!

Skydiving in Sydney and Abel Tasman and scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, bungee jumping.

Swimming with humpback whales!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - We can share insights into van life, off-grid living, and our experiences traveling the Pan-American Highway. Nikky can offer tips on landscape and nature photography, while Sam knows a thing or two about woodworking, fishing, and DIY repairs (especially on an aging van like Mo!).

Learn – We’re always keen to learn new skills, whether it’s a local dish, a traditional craft, a bit of a new language, or the best hidden spots in your area. If you’ve got something to teach, we’re all ears!

Share – We love good conversation, cooking meals together, swapping travel stories, and just enjoying the company of like-minded people. If nothing else, we can always share a few beers and a great sunset!

What I Can Share with Hosts

We can share traditional British or Swiss cooking, help you improve your photography skills (let’s get that camera off auto!), and offer language exchange in English, German, and Swiss German. We also love swapping travel stories, learning about different cultures, and enjoying good food and conversation!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom