It can be kind of tricky to sum up yourself in a few eloquent words or lines so as to describe enough, but not reveal too much or come off narcissistic. Regardless, here are a few things:
Originally Syrian, lived in the Middle East then Canada, then Costa Rica, and now back to Canada. I'm currently a special education teacher and have worked in nonprofit social work before as well.
I enjoy the outdoors, admire a sarcastic sense of humour, love adventure, have a strong affinity to chocolate, and a crazy passion for traveling and all the learning and growth that comes along with that.

I enjoy conversations that are deeper/more meaningful, and go beyond the "what was the last movie you watched?" or "what are you having for dinner?" sort of category. However, I'm not oblivious to the fact that small talk is a necessity sometimes, particularly when meeting someone new.

I feel in my element when attending live music events, spoken word poetry, and that feeling when the wind strokes my face and sweeps my hair away when I would be biking too fast.

Last but not least, I like some spontaneity in my life. It makes things more interesting and exciting sometimes.

Other than hating the fact that I used 'I' a lot in this section, and that it felt like a monologue, this was okay!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

You always meet interesting people, learn new things, get to share a part of your city and culture with people from all over the world, see things from a different perspective. I have enjoyed hosting couchsurfers every time, and have had a great experience being hosted as well.
In a way, it brings people together and makes me feel that despite the fact that we live in a world of great dimensions and numerous civilizations, we are all one and the same at the end of the day in our human existence and needs.

Interests

Traveling is one of my biggest passions, and the less known the place is, the better. I love exploring places I don't know much about, and experiencing the country I'm in from a local's perspective, to get the most authentic experience as possible. I find that I always learn something new, and appreciate life and the gift of presence. It's more than sightseeing and just having fun to me.

Reading - fiction, psychology, travel, and any non fiction on topics that sound interesting. I overpurchase books and haven't caught up to reading all of them yet.

Music - attending live music events, losing myself playing the piano, and exploring foreign artists and types of music. Hip hop hands down, as well as R&B are my fave two genres. I enjoy other genres as well except country and heavy metal.

Watching plays, and spoken word poetry are always a pleasure to be a part of.

Biking, dancing, easy hikes and walks, and generally being outdoors.
Food! It's one of the biggest pleasures of life.

• cooking
• traveling
• live music
• piano
• languages
• food
• theatre
• biking
• outdoors
• culture exchange

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I'm really into music of all sorts, and it depends mostly on my mood. However, favourite genres are hip-hop, R&B, jazz, blues, and world music. I enjoy instrumental music as well, especially piano. The only type of music I can't put up with is country music.
Movies: comedies, dramas, and the occasional thriller.
Books: I like to read mostly fiction; but also nonfiction about subjects like psychology, philosophy, and social issues.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Life's made up of many puzzle pieces and special moments, that it feels difficult to have that factor pinned down to one thing you've done (unless you haven't lived long enough). That said, here are a few of mine:

- Skydiving - especially in grinning widely during free-fall rather than any shrieking or squealing
- Visiting Postojna Cave in Slovenia. It was a surreal beauty, and felt like being in a magical alternate world.
- The very rare moments when my intuition works instead of using step by step Google maps instructions
- Traveling Albania for a week on a motorcycle
- Getting very lost taking the train in Romania, thus ending up in a Hungarian-Romanian small town
- The adventure of sneaking into Bulgaria's UFO (aka Buzludzha Monument)
- Camping in the desert in Morocco with local Berbers, and stargazing there

Teach, Learn, Share

Seeing how most couchsurfers have extensive travel experiences, I'm interested in hearing stories about your experiences in places you've been to, things you've learned, tips and advice, unique situations you've been in, and overall meaningful and deep conversations that I'm sure will arise if we click well enough.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A delicious meal (Syrian or otherwise), stories, and probably interesting conversation :).
But really, I'd love to share my cooking. Often times, food and love are equated in Middle Eastern culture.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia