CURRENT MISSION

finding a way to more creatively express myself

ABOUT ME

I like meeting new people and interacting with those from other cultures, learning new languages. I am happy to host people and, if I have free time, show them around a bit. I find that simply walking around Warsaw is a good way to explore it, as long as you can swivel your head 360 degrees to check for the possibility of a speeding car that is about to plow over top of you (drivers in Warsaw are insane, inconsiderate, and super-aggressive)
I enjoy most sports and expressive arts such as painting and music. I most enjoy spending time with people who are open, considerate, and calm--but I've also had some interesting moments with psychotic maniacal types.

PHILOSOPHY

"seek to do good, always, in your life; then, when you feel you have done that, aspire to be even more kind, more sharing, and more hospitable"
"live simply, so that others may simply live"
"one should travel not to get to a destination, but to be in continuous motion"

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've had some good experiences as a result of belonging to this club. It's amazing that when taking a bit of a "risk" and trusting someone--even one that you may not know very well--incredible things can happen.
In the future, I'm interested in exploring Asia--especially Mongolia. Also Africa's a possibility.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

-at present, I will host people who visit Warsaw
-hosting many people at my flat in Toronto, 2008-2010
-surfing in Hamburg and Pila, Poland with Matt and Doug in 2010
-surfing in Germany, Strasbourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, and in Moldova in March of 09
-Finland August 07, pleasant experiences all around

Interests

Sports, art, music, writing.
Also, I am vegetarian. I mention this because I've noticed that for some people it's hard to get accustomed to having someone NOT eating meat. If you eat meat in front of me, don't worry, I probably won't throw up:-)

• arts
• writing
• breakfast
• vegetarian
• walking
• clubbing
• boating
• traveling
• painting
• music
• cycling
• fishing
• surfing
• sports
• languages
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

I like books about history and politics, geography, science and animals.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I remember, a few years ago, having breakfast alone at 6 am (perhaps because I'm NOT a morning person)and actually enjoying the experience immensely because I was on a quiet beach on the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, in Nova Scotia, Canada. I had just slept yet another night in my pup tent after a vigorous 100km bike ride along the most breathtaking coastline I had ever seen in my life. Not an especially dramatic or picture-postcard pretty coast-but a raw, sometimes rugged/sometimes placid collection of rock, cliff and hillside, and red-sand vistas, quaint fishing villages, and warm, kind-hearted people.
Anyway, as I was finishing my breakfast and getting ready for another day's cycling, I noticed what I thought was a boat in the distance a few hundred metres away on the ocean's horizon. Upon closer inspection, it was a whale skimming the surface of the ocean. Apparently alone. I followed its motions for a few seconds with my eyes before it disappeared. A relatively simple experience, but memorable for it's poignancy and the strong connection I felt with nature and with a sense of place.
Incidentally, I later read on a plaque nearby to the beach that it was the site where John Cabot had landed in 1497-being the first European in about 500 years (since Erikson) to visit North America.

Teach, Learn, Share

I try my best to learn from others, and from my mistakes.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can teach you Polish. I can help you to improve your English (am an experienced ESL teacher). I can TRY to cook a mean plate of Polish nalesniki or potato pierogi.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Denmark, Poland

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