CURRENT MISSION

Make friends, set foot on as many countries as I can, and be alive, full of love and compassion

ABOUT ME

I have always been very fortunate. I have met many kind and generous people. Though I had seen and experienced horrible things due to the war and massive violence in my home country, Cambodia, the people I have met taught me the opposite. Therefore, I live openly with this belief that all people are basically good. When I am good and kind, others will be also. It starts with me, and when I am traveling, I always keep this in mind, whether I am hosting or being hosted, kindness, respect and an open heart are important keys to long lasting friendship and love.

PHILOSOPHY

There are many things one can do for oneself or the world, but choosing what is very difficult. Therefore, my mission in life, really, is to live in the present, be open to various possibilities that life brings, and make the best out of difficult situations by turning what is negative into opportunity in self-discovery and learning experiences.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I was born in Cambodia. I came to the United States at the age of 10. I am now an American citizen, but I do return to Cambodia to live and work as an artist every six months of the year. I am interested in community development issues and sustainable and ecological living. I'd like to work with children, teach art, theater and dance in the village where I was born.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I didn't really know what couchsurfing was until someone I met awhile ago called while I was living in Phnom Penh and asked if I could host someone, so I said yes, because I happened to have an extra room. The person I hosted was a young Swedish man, Henrik. He was traveling all over Southeast Asia on his bike. He taught me about couchsurfing, that I can host some great and interesting people like him.

Interests

When I signed up for couchsurfing, I got an email from a young Belgian living in Warsaw, Poland, who was visiting Cambodia at the time, looking for people to hang out and have a drink, so we met, with a few other people, and together, we talked, laughed and shared interesting thoughts about the world and places we had been. It was one of the best nights I had.

• arts
• theater
• dancing
• wine
• walking
• drinking
• traveling
• socializing
• cycling

Music, Movies, and Books

I love to read, write and travel. Some of my favorite writers are Jose Saramago, Milan Kundra, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, and Garcia Marquez. I listen to Classics and opera when I go to bed. I like dance music and songs that uplift and empower.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Being in Paris, visiting all the museums, the grave sites, and sitting in a park drinking a bottle of wine and eating a baguette. Being in Rome, walking the city all alone, awestruck by all the buildings. Lived in Pyatigorsk, Russia during Glanost, the era of Gorbachev's openness.

Teach, Learn, Share

I like people from various cultural and political experiences. Because I do rural development work, I like to meet people of like minds, with a high level of empathy toward others who may not be as fortunate as they are.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, China, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Cambodia, France, Russian Federation, United States

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