CURRENT MISSION

To discover new and interesting parts of the world, to connect with people, and to grow as a person.

ABOUT ME

I'm a polite Canadian, just like the stereotype, and I'm pretty tidy. I don't smoke, and I don't drink very often. I've been described as relaxed and upbeat, and I like to think that's true. I'm lucky enough to be a digital nomad now, and I've spent the last few summers in Canada and winters traveling in warmer places.

Personal growth is an important part of my life. As a child and teenager I was a recluse and a wreck, and I've spent my life since then actively trying to develop myself. I spent my 20s learning social skills and my 30s learning emotional skills. Currently I'm working on owning who I am and forming deeper connections with others. Time will tell what the next lesson is!

PHILOSOPHY

The world is big, and we only get to experience so much of it before we die. What is there to do except explore as much as we can?

https://countries-visited.com/?countries=Canada%2CUnited%20States%2CCuba%2CFrance%2CDominica%2CVenezuela%2CGuyana%2CSuriname%2CColombia%2CEcuador%2CPeru%2CBrazil%2CBolivia%2CParaguay%2CUruguay%2CArgentina%2CChile%2CSpain%2CPortugal%2CUnited%20Kingdom%2CIreland%2CGermany%2CBelgium%2CItaly%2CMalta%2CTaiwan%2CVietnam%2CMalaysia%2CPhilippines%2CSingapore%2CThailand%2CCambodia%2CVatican%2CAndorra%2CMonaco%2CBarbados%2CSaint-Martin

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Trusting a stranger is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have.

Interests

I'm recognizing a lot of overlap in my interests right now. Music is joyful. Moving your body is joyful. Dancing is like making music with your body. Figuring things out is joyful. Bouldering is like moving your body and figuring things out at the same time. Contemplating beauty is joyful. Playing go is like figuring things out and contemplating beauty at the same time. Telling stories is joyful. Studying history is like learning stories and figuring things out. Making things is joyful. Art is like making things and contemplating beauty and figuring things out all at once.

• singing
• swing dancing
• bouldering
• karaoke
• hiking
• climbing
• blues dancing
• writing fiction
• go (the board game)
• math (yes really)
• history (because it's fun and important)
• philosophy (because it's important and fun)
• art (making it and talking about it)

Music, Movies, and Books

Here is a non-exhaustive list in no particular order:

Music:
The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Flogging Molly, Gorillaz, Jacque Brel, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Johnny Cash, The Killers, King Crimson, Manu Chau, OK Go, Pink Floyd, The Protomen, Radiohead, Stan Rogers, The Bloodhound Gang, MF Doom, Mussorgsky, Bach, Antonio Carlos Jobim, etc.

Movies:
Alien, Aliens, The Avengers, Being There, Bugsy Malone, Cabin in the Woods, Children of Men, Clue, Crank, Full Metal Jacket, The Life Aquatic, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Magnificent Seven, Seven Samurai, Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, Pulp Fiction, The Producers, The Shining, Sunshine, Trainspotting, The Triplets of Belleville, etc.

Books:
Anything by Jorge Luis Borges, anything by George Orwell, Dune, Ender's Game, Frankenstein, Heart of Darkness, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Invisible Man (by Ralph Ellison), Lord of the Flies, The Lord of the Rings, Notes from Underground, The Plague, Peter Pan, Shake Hands with the Devil, The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, The Three Musketeers, War Of The Worlds, Catch-22, the short stories of Isaac Asimov, etcetera...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I climbed to the peak of Mt. Huayna Potosi (6080m). It was the first mountain I'd ever climbed and I did it without acclimatizing because I occasionally take on foolish challenges.

I also figured out how to solve a rubiks cube without looking up solutions. This may be my proudest accomplishment.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have loads of advice for traveling in loads of countries! I can also definitely teach English, since that's what people used to pay me for, but if you want to learn Blues Dancing or Swing Dancing, that would be more fun. I could teach you to play the greatest board game in the world: Go, and I could probably still teach you the basics of the great art of Taichi, or the almost as great art of billiards.

I love learning things I know nothing about. What's your expertise?

What I Can Share with Hosts

I don't cook as much as I used to, but I'd be glad to take you to dinner at least once, and I'm always happy to wash dishes and help with prep and cleaning up.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominica, Ecuador, France, Guadeloupe, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Martinique, Paraguay, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Guyana, Philippines, Viet Nam

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