CURRENT MISSION

TRAVELLING at the moment so not able to host ....

Seek out and value: New Experiences; Continued Learning; Different Perspectives... & Keep smiling;

ABOUT ME

I love to travel, and always enjoy talking to other people who appreciate that there is a big world outside of our day-to-day lives. I try to get out for a trip of a month or two at least every other winter, as well as some longer trips abroad - and it has given me the privilege of countless amazing experiences.

I love meeting people with a wide variety of interests that enjoy being active but can also carry on a stimulating conversation.

I have recently started a small software company that gives me more mobility so I am able to live in different parts of the world for a month or more while working part-time to get a better sense of life where I am travelling. I usually rent out an apartment for this period, but still enjoy couchsurfing to meet locals especially when I first arrive.

PHILOSOPHY

"We travel not to escape life,
but to prevent life from escaping us"

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.
An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
I am happy to both surf and host and encourage ongoing interaction between people with different backgrounds, experiences and environments.

Whether as a host or a surfer:
I am NOT here to simply find (or provide) a free place to crash for a couple of nights.
I AM here to interact with interesting and dynamic individuals who have some overlapping interests and values yet different experiences and perspectives to share.

I do resonate with people who get as much or more of a reward from helping others as they do from receiving.
It seems appropriate that a surfer should attempt to repay in some small way the kindness of the host. it may be taking them out to dinner, but it doesn't have to be monetary. It could be cooking a meal, or even simply sending a thoughtful postcard from their next destination. I try to do this as a. surfer, and while I don't expect or require anything from a surfer, this is an appreciated gesture.

I also tend to connect with slightly older CS'ers (in 30's or 40's)
I consider myself very young in body and spirit, but for me that means I still often feel like I am 30 years old... not 18 :-)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I use 'CouchSurfing' sporadically (as both host and surfer)

In general, I have had great experiences with CSing, and met some great people.

Interests

lots of the usual west coast outdoor activity stuff: hiking, ultimate, rock climbing, beach volleyball, windsurfing, canoeing... and more recently getting into swing dancing

On the more cerebral front I am generally pretty interested in what is going on politically - both globally and locally, and have a general interest in sustainability & social justice as well.

Generally, I have a keen interest in a lot of topics: science, history, psychology, literature, foreign films... and love to get into long stimulating conversations about anything and everything :-)

• politics
• board games
• canoeing
• rock climbing
• psychology
• road trips
• travelling
• sustainability
• ultimate frisbee
• beach volleyball
• lindy hop
• cognitive science
• stimulating conversation

Music, Movies, and Books

Some favourite authors: Barbara Kingsolver, Wally Lamb, Nick Hornby, John Steinbeck, Victor Hugo, Malcolm Gladwell

Some favourite books: A Fine Balance, Fall on Your Knees, To Kill a Mockingbird, East of Eden, Guns Germs & Steel, The Brains Way of Healing, Omnivore's Dilemma...

Movies: Love films of all sorts including foreign films
Some favourites that come to mind include: Crash (the Paul Haggis one), Gone Baby Gone, Lives of Others, Requiem for a Dream, The Sting (old classic)

Music: love all sorts - most played on my mp3 right now are probably Coldplay, Damien Rice, David Gray, Morphine, U2, Van Morrison, Radiohead, and some great Canadian bands (Matthew Good, Danny Michel, Current Swell, Metric)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

* built a raft and paddled down a river in both Fiji and Sumatra.
* watched a Basilisk lizard ('Jesus lizard') drop into a storm flooded river and run across it.
* spent 10 days paddling down a remote whitewater river in Tasmania in a one person, pack-laden rubber dinghy.

Teach, Learn, Share

open to ideas... always love & appreciate learning.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Great stories from around the world.
Stimulating discussion on a wide variety of topics.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Austria, Canada, Colombia, Hungary, Thailand

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