Most about me is explained in the following sections however but in a nutshell:

I'm like to think that I'm pretty open minded (everyone says that though don't they:-) and progressive
I care about equality - especially with regards to the empowerment of and respect for women but also in equal amounts for racial and faith equality. I am definitely an understanding and tolerant person
I care about the environment
I love travel (domestic or overseas)
I'm a bit obsessed with the weather
I like to dance!
I love good conversation - politics, science, travel - wherever it flows
I like to cook and enjoy good food and drink (coffee, wine, beer)- especially shared with others
I'm interested in and fascinated by our planet and everyone that lives on it and how they live
I like to bike ride, hike, camp
Love spending time with my friends and family - our time is the most precious thing we can share with others
I like to stay fit, strong and healthy (but not obsessively - I still like my food, wine and beer!)
Lots of other things - if you have a question let me know!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've had a love for travel ever since I was a child travelling both in Australia and overseas with my parents. I've done many trips throughout Australia in a 4WD along with a lot of camping when I was younger but it was not until I first went overseas as an adult to Costa Rica (to volunteer) that I was bitten hard by the travel bug. I spent a total of 6 months in Costa Rica over 2 trips (with a bit of time in Nicaragua) and since then have visited SW China, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, United States, Canada and Cuba.

I'm on couch surfing so I can connect with local people overseas and have a "real" experience that you cannot get most of the time when staying in guesthouses, hotels, hostels etc. I've connected with locals in different countries by sheer luck before but this time I want to make a concerted effort to do so. I am also open to hosting one day, but currently the place I live is not actually my place so cannot do this until I have more control over my own space. I am currently in the first few weeks of 10 month trip taking in UK, Holland, France, Spain, Portugal and Central & South America.

Interests

I love staying fit and active, camping, hiking, bike riding - whatever form it may come in. I bike ride regularly and hit the gym about twice a week. I work in the environment industry currently for local government supporting rural landowners to protect their native vegetation. As you can tell from my career choice I care deeply for our planet and its environs and as a result seek to explore more natural areas of it where I can. I'm always fascinated by the science and ecological interactions of our natural world. I'm equally fascinated by other cultures and how people live and interact in different parts of the world.

I'm into music, and play electric lead guitar with a small band in my friend's studio. My tastes are fairly eclectic musically, but lean towards rock, funk and soul. When the music feels right I enjoy dancing a lot!

I like to stay in touch with current affairs, and I would say that I lean a bit to the left when it comes to my political and moral values. I know a bunch of useless geographical information, such as heights of mountains, locations of rivers, places in the world etc. I'm also a bit obsessed with the weather, and when the weather gets interesting you can find me gazing up at the skies.

I like to cook - mainly different sorts of curries, middle eastern food and Asian fusion cuisine. I also love sharing food and drink with others especially. I love coffee and cuisines such as Middle Eastern (all of them), Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Spanish --- many others!

• culture
• dancing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• coffee
• drinking
• politics
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• dance music
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• hunting
• surfing
• science
• volunteering
• rivers
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music -
Rock, funk and soul - but also other genres if it vibes well with me!

Movies- not a big movie watcher, But I do like Donnie Darko, Her, Forrest Gump, Lock Stock and two smoking barrels and many many others. I like any movie that makes you think, and like some arthouse/international movies as a result. I like food documentaries, as well as travel, music, culture and science documentaries as I can learn as I watch.

Books - travel books, satirical novels by Ben Elton and reference books (geography, weather, travel etc.) I know I've read other great books but I cannot remember them as I write this...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Well many, but I'll choose two-

With my best friend in 2009, I hiked along the Goecha La trek in Sikkim, India, beneath the Kachenjunga Himalaya (third highest mountain in the world).
There was a full moon during our trip, and on one clear morning we hiked up to a viewpoint at 4200m very early in the morning to view the Himalayas under the full moon. There were shooting stars and a thunderstorm flickering lightning in the distance. I'm not sure how to explain it, but from where we were standing it looked as though the sky was both above and below us, as the moonlight created this illusion under its blue and white light. The snows and glaciers of the massive peaks glowed and the stars formed a canopy under which this amazing view lay. You had to be there of course to understand, but it was somehow a very emotional experience and possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

The other great experience was to work in Food Van for the Homeless community in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. For 9 months I facilitated the van and recruited volunteers to come and be part of this inclusive community experience, where I could chat to people having a hard time with life and provide some food and drink for 2 hours at a time. Looking back this was a great experience, in all I did this for nearly 2 years if you include my time volunteering at the van. I recommend to others to try something like this if they can - it's always great to give if you can.

Teach, Learn, Share

Hard to say! We have all learnt things in life as we go along and always have something to teach each other. I've picked up all sorts of knowledge, some useful and others perhaps less so as I've trundled along. I'm reasonably geographically aware, and know a fair bit about the weather. I've seen and done a fair bit thus far and expect to learn a lot more, especially whilst travelling. I'm up for learning whatever someone is willing to share or teach.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I guess I can share people my experiences and learnings in my life so far, teach people how to cook certain meals (ingredients permitting) and learn from others their experiences, about their culture, language, dance music and so on. I like to think I'm open minded and adventurous so I'm up to learn whatever!

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Costa Rica