CURRENT MISSION

learnin' to live, and lovin' to learn

ABOUT ME

my passport says i am canadian, but tend not to put too much emphasis on labels. i've been very fortunate to have been able to travel most of my life. i try to be grateful everyday, especially when life is most difficult. i've been to some amazing places and met amazing people. i want to go to and meet more. i also love where i am, and am very thankful for that.

i speak some spanish and french, and can always improve.

i am always learning, from everyone and everything. for me this is the only way i could ever live.

i want to be a better global citizen and human being.

PHILOSOPHY

"A master in the art of living drawns no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both." - François-René de Chateaubriand

"In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself." - J. krishnamurti

"If happiness always depends on something expected in the future, we are chasing a will-o'-the-wisp that ever eludes our grasp, until the future, and ourselves, vanish into the abyss of death." - Alan Watts

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

i have surfed on many couches, floors, hammocks, tree houses and backyards around the globe and now it is my turn to return the favor and bring the world to me!

Interests

i am interested in trying to make my actions, words and thoughts count for something, hopefully something positive.

i am trying to get my Chi flowing, my brain working and my heart glowing. i like vipassana, yoga, learning, tea, people from different places or backgrounds doing things differently, listening, talking, rock climbing and sharing circles to name a few.

originality and humility.

giving and receiving hugs.

i teach teachers.

i work in wilderness therapy.

being present when 'me' becomes 'we'.

individuals and groups willing to share, learn, evolve, laugh and connect.

i was very fortunate to be able to study both modern physics and eastern religions at the same time in univeristy and love the beautiful picture they paint of reality and our place in it if you know how and where to look.

lately i am very interested in education and teaching, especially since i have stumbled upon a teaching job teaching teachers here in montreal.

did i say i am interested in laughing? it's the best and i love it.

• arts
• education
• yoga
• meditation
• traveling
• painting
• outdoor activities
• rock climbing
• teaching
• physics
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

some books that have been very influential in my life are: zen and the art of motorcycloe maintenence (robert pirsig), on the road and the dharma bums (jack kerouac), siddartha (herman hess), black elk speaks (john neihardt) and anything by J. Krishnamurti.

if you ever want to borrow a book and promise to read it, mi bookself es tu bookshelf.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

jumped out of a perfectly functioning plane 10 000 ft above the indian ocean.

Moved to a foriegn country without knowing the language or a single soul. it was totally worth it.

Bought a one way ticket to Guatemala from Cuba with zero plans. It took me over eight months to get back "home".... i am still not "home".
- did it again with colombia last year.
- am doing it again with Quebec presently.

I spend the last year living mostly outdoors in the wilderness doing wilderness therapy with teenagers in crisis.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would like to learn more french and get some of my spanish back.

each one of us has so much to teach... more than we will ever know. a few things i think i know about are ... making bread and kefir, some principles and practices of meditation and shamanism, and of course, like all of us, something about travel. I am also learning more and more about how the minds and hearts of teenagers work and how to help them develop as complete human beings, not just another gear helping the big machine turn.

But i would much rather share ideas and conversations with people about, well, anything... thinking and questioning are very important to me. but not all the time ... sometimes i just have to stop. and breath. and smile. and enjoy.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Canada, Spain

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