Hiya. I’m Tyler and I love to travel and meet open-minded individuals. I consider myself a caring and empathetic person, and my intention is to connect with others in hopes to encourage positive changes in all of our lives. I'm originally from the U.S., but up until recently, I was living in Aotearoa/NZ for about 2.5 years. Kia ora! 👋🏻

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm still processing my experience of being back to the U.S. and it feels like a strange place. But I've found Couchsurfing to be a good way to connect with fellow travelers, and my aim on this platform is to share the happiness of traveling experiences with others. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to meet up. At this point, I'm seeking to join up for Couchsurfing events and be a guest during my travels, but in the future, I'm hoping to be in a position to host.

Also, after having some recent life experience of being an immigrant, I am particularly open and interested in meeting other people from the international community to connect with. I follow the news regularly and I know a lot of people in the U.S. have experienced xenophobia from certain types of North Americans who look like me, but I promise I'm one of the good ones. Aroha mai, aroha atu (love received, love returned) 💚

Interests

I spend a lot of time thinking about what motivates me on a weekly basis - usually some event I plan to attend on the weekend, where I can spend time with interesting people. Also I've been thinking a lot about the 3 marks of existence in Buddhism (dukkha, anatta, and anicca); namely anicca as so many things in my life have been in flux lately. But I've been trying to say Yes to opportunities and be fully present in the moment.

• animals
• birds
• arts
• books
• poetry
• theater
• architecture
• street art
• music festivals
• burningman
• festivals
• dancing
• tango
• vegetarian
• meditation
• anime
• movies
• video games
• board games
• podcasts
• music
• live music
• punk music
• electronic music
• hip-hop music
• metal music
• karaoke
• outdoor activities
• backpacking
• canoeing
• camping
• sailing
• buddhist
• martial arts
• nature
• horse riding
• social justice
• street food
• edm
• poetry slam
• jamming
• qigong
• hostel
• hot springs
• tai chi
• nature walks
• musical theatre
• street photography
• grindcore
• drum circles
• lgbtqia+

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: ODESZA, The Pogues, Queen, Petit Biscuit, Noname, The Halluci Nation, Six60, Marvin Gaye.

Movies: RENT, Encanto, Spirited Away, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Cabin in the Woods, Booksmart, Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Books: One Hundred Years of Solitude, 1Q84, Nineteen Eighty-Four, V for Vendetta, The Power of Now, Pleasure Activism, The Man Suit, Milk and Honey.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

As mentioned above, I had immigrated to Aotearoa in 2019 and remained on a Work Visa for slightly over 2.5 years, which, coincidentally ended up being during the worst of the pandemic. I didn't know anyone prior to moving there, but I ended up finding an awesome community to be a part of after only about 6 months (shout out to the KiwiBurn whānau!). I often have social anxiety with meeting new people, so I think my success in making friends there was due to a combination of extreme luck and also just pushing myself out of my comfort zone to be as outgoing and authentic as possible. Whenever I travel to a new place and meet new people, I try to embrace that part of myself.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you some basics about ukulele and guitar, and/or lead a beginner's meditation session for you. I'm open to learning and trying just about anything, as long as no humans or animals are being harmed (I'm vegetarian, fyi). I would like to share in creating some awesome memories with the people I meet. Let's jam together and share favorite songs, share recipes and cook some tasty noms, and/or share stories while we take a walk in nature ✌🏻

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to share happiness in being in a new place, with kind people. If you would like to show me some cool event or place in your town/city, I would be totally open to that. I'm interested in pretty much anything related to visual art, theater, costumes, music, poetry, dancing, social justice, community organizing, vegetarian food, martial arts, and meditation. I'm good at following recipes and I can cook with you too. Also, I generally enjoy having deep and authentic conversations so feel free to tell me what you're passionate about and I'll go there with you 😄

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Ireland, Mexico, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Norway, Panama, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

New Zealand, United States