CURRENT MISSION

Growing my career as a yoga teacher. Opening my apartment to travelers who want to see the authentic America in Buffalo, NY.

ABOUT ME

My name is Spencer. I have brown hair that's curly when I let it grow out. I enjoy sarcasm. I am from Buffalo, NY; contrary to what most Americans say it actually is a pretty neat city. I am a certified yoga instructor. I am travelling the world studying languages and experiential education. At home I work with children with special needs. I also am currently searching for yoga related projects to learn from via Workaway.

PHILOSOPHY

The only advice I am qualified to give: Go places and do stuff as often as possible.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am interested in couch surfing because I truly believe you do not experience the true charm and character of a place if you do not make personal connections with the people who live there. If you stay in lame hotels you meet no one. If you stay in hostels you'll meet some cool people but most of them will be fellow travelling gringos. If you stay with someone you make a meaningful connection to the people and the place. I believe that is a powerful experience.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None (Officially) Yet :)

Interests

I am a yoga teacher. I love to study yoga and even more I love to practice and teach yoga. I love the outdoors. It is where I am most happy. I have a job as an outdoor education counselor that I love. I kayak and hike in the warmer months and cross country ski and snowshoe in the beautiful Buffalo winters. I like to eat. I have been told I am a great cook and an even better dishwasher. I cook mostly vegetarian recipes. I'm also a major geography nut so I like looking at maps and learning about places and the people who live there.

• singing
• education
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• vegetarian
• yoga
• running
• instructor
• drinking
• chess
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• kayaking
• surfing
• skiing
• snowshoeing
• soccer
• cartography
• teaching
• geography
• languages
• law
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: The Star Wars Trilogy, City of God, Even the Rain, The Godfather. I watch alot of documentary films.
Music: I listen to just about everything except American country music. I love bluegrass and folk music however. I could listen to Irish folk til the cows come home. Some bands I'm currently into: We Were Promised Jetpacks, Trampled By Turtles, Elephant Revival, The Tragically Hip, The Waterboys.
I love to read. When I was a child I enjoyed the Redwall Series by Brian Jacques. I also love the old classics of Tolstoy and Dickens but I also love the new classics Like the Game of Thrones series. (Needless to say is also my favorite TV program)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The fondest memory of travelling that comes to mind is from a trip I took to Turkey with a friend in 2011. We flew to the far Northeastern city of Trabzon which is well, well off the tourist radar. There weren't a ton of nice attractions except for the beautiful misty mountains that pinned the city to the Black Sea. We had spent 2 days hiking in the country side around the Sumela Monastery high in the mountains. When we got back into Trabzon that night we dropped out bags off in a hotel and went to a cafe to drink tea and play chess. We were the only non-Turks anywhere to be seen and everyone in the cafe seemed pleased to see us. There were old men playing folk instruments and singing songs. There was a football match live on television that had to be abandoned due to hooligans fighting each other in the stadium. The cafe owner never let the tea run cold or out and brought bowls of hazelnuts straight from local farms. The locals shared cigarettes with us and all crowded around our chess match and cheered for and argued over our moves. We became their entertainment for the evening. It didn't feel like we were travellers. It felt like we were one of the local boys.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would like to teach yoga because I believe it has the power to transform peoples lives.
I want to learn about how to grow food so I can turn it into tasty meals for people I love.
I want you to share with me your experience in the place you live. I want to learn about what makes your city or town work and what makes you different. I don't want to see the world turn into one big Wal Mart.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I would be very happy to teach yoga :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Ireland, Peru, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States