I recently met a couple of travellers from France at my favourite cafe here in Toronto. After chatting with them for a couple of hours they let me know that after a few months travelling in Canada they were running low on money. I have a two-bedroom apartment so I offered to let them stay at my place for the last few days they would be here in Toronto until they left for New York. It was a great experience - I had a chance to practice my French for a few days and help out a couple of strangers and show them around Toronto, which is always fun. They told me about this website and that they'd used it before, so I thought I'd sign up in case it works again. I don't really know how it works, but feel welcome to send me messages directly to ajlsealey@gmail.com as I don't suspect that I'll check in here more frequently than from time to time. As I need to spend a fair amount of time focussing on work, relatively short term (i.e. a handful of days or so) stays are best, though longer term stays might at times also be feasible. I also find it somewhat difficult to plan several weeks ahead, so last minute requests are perfectly welcome (and perhaps even ideal - if I'm not too busy, sure, please stop by for a visit!). My place isn't ideally convenient as it's about 30 minutes from downtown (to be more precise, I'm to the east and the public transit trip planner tells me it takes 25-30 minutes to get to the Spadina-Bloor subway station), but on the plus side you can stay in your own room. My place isn't Versailles by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a place that's pretty easy to feel comfortable in, so if you're a backpacker with an easygoing vibe, it's likely to work for you. Much more Lonely Planet than Condé Nast. It's smoke-free, but you're welcome to use my balcony for this if you'd like? If you feel this might work well for you, please feel welcome to be in touch. A pro: There's a grocery store located less than 100 feet from my home. A con: I don't have cable or wifi in my apartment. There are several places nearby that have free wifi access, but I prefer to disconnect once I'm home.

Music and concerts: Some softer stuff when I need to be cerebral, heavier when I'm having fun. Favourite concerts include Jane's Addiction, Ministry, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, The Pixies, The Hip, Billy Talent. Movies: Gasland. Inside Job. The Corporation. Citizen Four. Cinderella Man. Fight Club. Guardians of the Galaxy. The Martian. The Equalizer. The Big Short. Deadpool. Books: Hegel's Phenomenology. Nietzsche's Zarathrustra. Rousseau's Social Contract. Anything by Orwell or Dickens.