I am proudly Métis! I am a super friendly, easy-going, optimistic, talkative, helpful, and sincere individual. I pretty much just like to be happy and have fun! I enjoy meeting new people and volunteering.

I achieved my Community Development Diploma at Red River College Polytechnic in June 2023. I was the lead student campus tour guide at college from June 2022 to December 2023. I am very supportive of Truth and Reconciliation, and Indigenomics.

Ps. If you believe that gender is only male/female or any other judgmental ideologies, you are not welcome. ✌️ ☮️

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love connecting with people! I enjoy helping others learn more about Canadian culture, Manitoba, and the Métis, as well as geocaching. Couchsurfing creates so many amazing opportunities to develop my intercultural competence as well. I am always fascinated to learn about my guests, such as where they are from and their interests.

Interests

My biggest passion is geocaching, a worldwide GPS based educational treasure hunting game that I began participating in July 2010. I volunteered for the Manitoba Geocaching Association from February 2011 to June 2014 as Event Coordinator, served as member at large from April 2022 until April 2023. At that time, I was nominated and accepted position as Vice-President, which I am still serving as now. I am working towards starting my own business as a geocaching consultant, facilitating workshops to introduce geocaching basics, advanced features, etc. I'm the coolest nerd you will ever meet! 😜

I have also volunteered for four years (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023) at two music festivals: Rainbow Trout and Harvest Moon. It was through these festivals that I grew to love bands like Royal Canoe, Zoon, Slow Spirit, and Boy Golden. I even bought them on vinyl!!! I also volunteered at the St. Madeline Métis Days in July 2023.

I love the outdoors and will go camping off the grid or with minimal amenities without complaints. Hiking, biking, and canoeing, are favorite activities. I enjoy road trips too. I can be a planner or be spontaneous.

• culture
• environment
• gardening
• camping
• environmental studies
• history
• tourism
• road trips
• nature
• cultures
• sustainability
• indigenous rights
• geocaching
• sustainable development
• social innovation
• environmentalism
• natural medicine
• nature walks
• nature conservation
• zero waste
• sustainable tourism
• indigenous cultures
• community development
• environmental protection

Music, Movies, and Books

Who doesn't love music?😍
I have an eclectic taste. I still use CDs and also have a wide collection of vinyl. I also use Spotify.
Royal Canoe is my top fave from music festivals I attended. Saint Motel is another hip band I like a lot.

Movies are a treat when I can make time, as they are not a priority for me.😅
I have Netflix and Prime. I recently went to see the new Ghostbusters movie at the theatre.

My reading was mostly college related material for a couple of years.🤓
Indigenomics by Carol Anne Hinton, 21 Things You Didn't Know About The Indian Act, Do Good Well, etc.
Other books I have read and loved since my teens include April Raintree by Beatrice Culleton, The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My goal is to visit cities across Canada:

BRITISH COLUMBIA
White Rock - I saw and touched the ocean for the first time!
Abbotsford- attended a wedding and did some geocaching

ALBERTA
Calgary - Tower, Glenbow Museum, Lougheed House, Royal Tyrell Museum, Zoo, Science Gallery
Drumheller - Royal Tyrell Museum, World's Largest Dinasaur
Edmonton- WEM (Galaxy Land, Water Park, Zipline, Sea Lions Rock)
Banff- Upper Hot Springs, Sulphur Mountain Gondola
Radium Hot Springs

SASKATCHEWAN
Langenburg - stepfather grew up here and my step grandmother lived here until she passed away in 2001
Regina - geocaching
Saskatoon - visited a geocaching friend one year
Rosthern - Geocaching Mega Event 2014
Foam Lake - Dec/21 spent my first Christmas ever with my birth father (#parentalalienation)

MANITOBA - MORE PLACES THAN LISTED
Winnipeg - born here
St. Jean Baptiste - mother's hometown
Iles des Chene - an aunt lives here
Selkirk - an aunt lived here for years, have cousins living here
Narcisse Snake Pits - World's largest snake dens
Tulape Falls - cliff jumping, rapid sliding
Riding Mountain National Park - camping in Wasagaming in O-Tent-Ik
Thompson - an older brother lives here
Pisew Falls - the Niagara Falls of Manitoba, on the way to Thompson
The Pas - my bestie lived here for a couple of years

ONTARIO
Kenora- exploring the town and the lakes by car/boat/ice roads while geocaching
Toronto- CN tower, Royal Ontario Museum, Zoo
Niagara Falls- Ferry ride, Underground tunnels
Ottawa - while visiting my best friend in fall 2019, and again Dec/23

QUEBEC
Gatineau - visit my best friend for a week in fall 2019, explored by geocaching (even found a geo event to attend!) and visited in Dec 2023 celebrating my birthday together for the first time in years.
Montréal - NotreDame Basillica, Mount Royal Park, Old Port, La Grande Roue de Montréal, piece of the Berlin Wall, and more!

USA
Washington state - International Gardens (found a geocache here without a passport when visiting BC
Seattle- Geocaching Headquarters Block Party in August 2015, Snoqualmie tunnel, Pike Place Market, the gum wall (germiest place in the world)

Teach, Learn, Share

Life-long learning is so important.

My ancestry is connected to the history of Manitoba, as my great grandfather was one of the original Red River Métis settlers. My grandfather, Arthur Grégoire, was a twin and youngest of nine children. He was born in the small French town of St. Jean Baptiste, MB, south of Winnipeg, just south of Morris. Here he met my grandmother and got married. My mother is the youngest of eight children born to them. She was almost "scooped" for adoption as a baby in the chaos of the flood of 1950, by an older English couple who couldn't have their own children.

I would love to teach you geocaching, a super fun GPS based treasure hunting game played worldwide!

I always enjoy learning about other cultures and appreciate land-based knowledge.

I am learning more about gardening and would like to learn natural ways to heal using medicinal plants.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Great vibes and conversations!
-I can share about my Métis culture and other Indigenous knowledge.
-We can discuss climate change and other environmental issues.
-I can introduce you to geocaching.
-I am open to helping with animals and children.
-I can likely help with many things I don't even know yet, if you just teach me first.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada