My name is John Leonard! I am a graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor's degree in music composition. I am deeply interested in culture and travel and I want to meet as many people as I can during my travels. I hope you see me fit to stay in your home and I look forward to meeting all of you couchsurfers!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My primary reason to be here is to directly experience new cultures and meet new people. It seems that, although traveling from hostel to hostel is wonderful, I am never able to truly "live" the culture of the country I am traveling in. Couch surfing, then, presents an opportunity to spend time in real homes, in real countries staying with real local residents who likely have incredible stories to tell and suggestions to give on where to go next. I am a very social person and I never feel complete in a country unless I am making an effort to communicate and develop friendships with the people in it, however weak my communication skills may be in their native language. All these things aptly describe why I have joined couchsurfing! I want to have a real, true, intense first hand experience of culture. I want to be an insider looking out!

Interests

I am deeply interested in academia, including music, science, mathematics, history, and language. I play various instruments such as the piano, the psaltery, and the shamisen. I am especially interested in the Japanese language and culture and I strongly desire to master speaking and writing Japanese.

• culture
• writing
• traveling
• music
• piano
• chemistry
• history
• mathematics
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy all genres of music. I enjoy the works of many old composers such as Machaut, Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, Chopin, and Stravinsky to name very few. Some bands/artists I like are My Bloody Valentine, Death Grips, Cornelius, Imeruat, and Naked City.

As for movies, I deeply enjoy modern films as well as classic and silent films. My favorite silent film is without hesitation Metropolis (1927).

Some fiction I love is Sherlock Holmes, World Without End, 1984, Harry Potter, Ivanhoe and also the works of H.P. Lovecraft. In general, I love fiction and also non fiction such as academic textbooks about science and history.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Two weeks ago I left my job and spontaneously began a nomadic hitchhiking adventure around Europe with a backpack, sleeping bag and tent!

Teach, Learn, Share

I am capable of teaching you the following:

- English!
- All about my country and its culture.
- Anything in music theory, history, composition, as well as piano (I have a degree in music!)
- Basic calculus
- Organic chemistry

What I Can Share with Hosts

Everything. I will bring warmth and enthusiasm into your home. I will share all of my knowledge with you and delightfully listen to all of your stories!

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Scotland, United States, Vatican City State, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, England