CURRENT MISSION
come visit, the weather is great (well not right now, but it was and will be again) and the peninsula is lovely.

We are often happy to host, but expect us to be doing our own thing / working, so have a plan for the day and things you want to do in the area / Auckland. If we have something we want to do which you might want to be involved in we will let you know. If not we enjoy a wine/beer in the evenings and potentially sharing a meal.

ABOUT ME

I'm easy to get along with, considerate and generally up for anything. I'm pretty chill, people say I always seem relaxed, I can enjoy a quiet moment, I'm always interested in other opinions & beliefs - even if I don't share them myself.

I'll eat anything but enjoy good food and a nice beer; I have a particular fondness for Belgian beers & Thai curries. I also have a sweet tooth which makes me susceptible to chocolate and ice-cream.

I studied finance and property (real estate), but not sure if an office job is right for me anymore.

I've been travelling since April of 2010, when I packed my clothes and a laptop into my backpack and set off originally with a friend for Thailand. We travelled Thailand, then headed to Europe where I explored extensively before heading across to the United States. Without any plans I considered working on a yacht for a while from Florida, that didn't happen so I went up to Canada and ended up spending the winter snowboarding in Banff. Renee and I then drove across the United States (3 months in a camper van) to Montreal where we've been for the last year. I've been blogging and doing odd jobs on websites, and she's been doing her neuroscience stuff.

I spent my childhood, from 5 to 13 sailing around the world with my family on a 40 foot Roberts Spray (yacht), give or take a few years of schooling in England, Australia and South Africa. For a long time I was sick of the sea and was enjoying the land, but I think I miss it now, I'm itching for an ocean passage.

PHILOSOPHY

I don't want to live life on an ever repeating quest to move up the social status ladder - childhood, followed by schooling, tertiary education, finding a job, buying a house, buying a bigger house in a better neighborhood, upgrading your car to match your new house, working harder to pay off your bigger mortgage before finally retiring and THEN trying and do the things you've always wanted to do.

My personal philosophy is to do something different with my life, to try to do something special, to fight like hell not to fall into the above sequence of steps; the journey is vitally important and should be the highlight of your life.

Do not be concerned with avoiding death, be more concerned with avoiding life. For dying is not a tragedy, but to not have properly lived...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surf and host whenever we get the chance. Enjoy the occasional meetup - highly recommend people go to city couchsurfing meetup's whenever they're in a new city - great way of meeting lots of interesting people.

Had some of the best times of my life with couch surfers. Local knowledge, like minded people, someone to talk to, someone to go out with, people to have fun with, different people, new cultures, new ideas - Couch Surfing is brilliant.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Through couch surfing I have experienced places in ways I wouldn't have thought of, or wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Apple picking in Virginia, an amazing New Years eve 4WD ride in Moab and many more fantastic experiences.

I've also had the pleasure of an impromptu couchsurf - I ended up staying for three nights with a guy and his family in Ottawa who picked me up while I was hitch hiking in Canada

Interests

I enjoy playing squash, and I love photography - anything to do with a camera I'm obsessed with at the moment. Back in New Zealand I enjoyed squash and tennis on a regular basis, running, and going for the odd mountain bike ride whether cross country or jump. I love hiking (tramping if you're a Kiwi), sailing and outdoor adventures; there is nothing better than the most basic meal when you're incredibly tired, cold & hungry - and have reached an awe inspiring location.

I have an interest in websites, blogging and travel (Hence my travel blog SamsPlayground.com).

Apart from the few I've mentioned I have broad interests and am generally up for trying anything. It's always great to hear about what other people are interested in, it is normally not whether I share the same interest but rather how passionate they are about 'it' which makes it exciting.

• photography
• education
• dining
• chocolate
• wine
• beer
• running
• yachting
• clothing
• traveling
• blogging
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• surfing
• sailing
• snowboarding
• tennis
• racquetball
• teaching
• neuroscience
• parks
• squash

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to a wide variety of music but mostly enjoy rock and classic rock. I enjoy Muse, Tool, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Foo Fighters, King Crimson, Kings of Leon, MGMT, Serj Tankian, Smashing Pumpkins, Ting Tings, Empire of the Sun and many more. Lately I've really enjoyed listening to earbits.com - free online radio station which plays new and emerging artists in numerous genres.

I enjoy movies but I struggle to remember titles...
Across the Universe
Into The Wild

Books, I really enjoy books and it was one of the pleasures I hoped to indulge in more while traveling and away from the stresses of normal working life. Off the top of my head I've enjoyed reading:
Robert Pirsig's Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Warren Buffet biography The Snowball
any of Bryce Courtenay's books
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galazy
Lionheart - Jesse Martin
The Gulag Archipelago (interesting but it was always a struggle)
Patrick Rothfuss - The Name of the Wind | The Wise Man's Fear | Waiting for the 3rd book
The Facebook Effect

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Snorkeled with Humpback whales off the coast of Morea, which is off the coast of Tahiti (2000)

I've flown over the Grand Canyon (September, 2010)

Hitch hiked over 1200 km in one day from Halifax to Ottawa (November 2010)

Spent three months driving a camper van across the United States visiting national parks (2011)

Teach, Learn, Share

I know bits and pieces about Wordpress blogging and photography. I could show you how to play squash (although a court and racquet are generally required), or how to maintain your bicycle.

I'm always open to any ideas which may improve my blog SamsPlayground.com

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, New Zealand

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