Hello! We are Mesa and Liam, a couple and team who met while in college at Indiana University. Our shared passions for music, nonviolence and travel brought us together right before Mesa moved to Europe to follow her dreams. After patiently practicing long distance for a year, we are now reunited, living in Belgium and ready to explore :)

We're two open minded and spontaneous people who love to make the most of life and go-with-the-flow. We're queer and love expressing ourselves beyond what's expected in mainstream society. Everywhere we go we're looking to make new friends, discover new things, and adventure.

Mesa: I grew up in a place where people generally stay put. My state, Indiana, is the cross-roads of America, where most people live earnest, humble lives and don’t have any reason to travel or think outside of their traditional ways. Maybe this culture of complacency is why I always felt the need to see and understand the world beyond where I grew up. Traveling to the national parks with my dad opened my mind to how beautiful this little blue marble we live on can be if you make time to see it. Once I started my degree in International Studies, it was game over and I knew I had to move out of the United States and though it will always be my home, I’m so glad I did. My interest in the counterculture lifestyle led me to also pursue a degree in the history of rock music (so I’m officially certified in rock music hahawut), so I’m a big music nerd and love love love talking about all types of music and the culture surrounding them! Since there were no affordable Peace programs in Europe, I settled for a Masters in Conflict and Global Development- but rest assured, I’m writing my thesis on nonviolence! More specifically, it’s on civil disobedience, social movements, and the effectiveness of nonviolence over violence as a tool of progress. I’m more into astrology than astronomy but both are cool! My signs are Virgo sun (don’t hate), Scorpio moon, and Gemini rising.

Liam: I was born in upstate New York and moved to Indiana in grade school. As a kid I spent a lot of time outside cultivating curiosity for the natural world. This spirit of exploration led me to partake in Environmental Activism and artistic expression. Now I am 23 and find myself fulfilling my need for adventure through making music, learning new instruments, producing electronic music with modular synthesizers, traveling, playing live music across the United States, and sharing new experiences with my partner Mesa. I am a Soto Zen preceptor and am fascinated by all kinds of spiritual teachings especially Buddhism. If you’re interested in Astrology I am Taurus Sun, Gemini Rising and Aquarius Moon. Lastly, here is a link to my music if you feel like listening! https://withkoji.com/@Akemie

P.S: if you happen to have a guitar, piano, keyboard or drum set, I would love to play them with you! :)

PHILOSOPHY
Zen/Pure Land Buddhism

Taoism

Non-Violence/Ahimsa

Carl Jung

Hanna Arendt

We’re all one. Life flows on within you and without you.

We’re all very small animals.

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

To each their own. Live and let live. John Stuart Mill’s harm principle (if it doesn’t hurt you or others, mind your businessss)

Don’t sweat the small stuff (and most of it is small stuff)!

Exploring what creativity is and how to spark it

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

We are looking to travel not just for vacation, but to grow as people and form new connections and friendships. This is why we moved to Europe, and this is why we’re choosing couch surfing as our means of traveling. We’re always looking for alternatives from the traditional route! We’re interested in communal living and connection beyond the capitalist framework. Although some level of privacy is necessary, we believe in trusting the universe and each other :)

Music, Movies, and Books

Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemingway, Kurt Vonnegut, Voltaire, James Baldwin, Alicia Bay Laurel

Be Here Now, On The Road, Dharma Bums, Opening the Hand of Thought, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Farewell to Arms, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Candide, Layla & Majnun, Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind, Haroun & The Sea of Stories, Razor’s Edge, Giovanni’s Room, East of Eden, Sirens of Titan

The Beatles (top .05% of global listeners 2 years in a row wussup), The Grateful Dead, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley, Boards of Canada

Goodwill Hunting, Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Studio Ghibli, Midnight Gospel

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Mesa: Randomly moved to Europe alone at the age of 22 without ever having visited or knowing anyone here

Liam remix: Spontaneously decided to move to Europe, sold my car and bought a one way ticket with no plan (all within a couple days)

Teach, Learn, Share

Mesa: Throughout the years, I’ve found myself studying some dark topics (specializing in human rights abuses, war, and colonialism, and genocide), but in my studies and personal life I’ve always made room for light in the world. My hope in humanity and belief in connectivity is what brought me to nonviolence as a discipline and spirituality, which I love sharing in both direct and indirect ways wherever I go. I hope to one day work as a professional peacemaker (yes, they exist!) whether that means violence deescalation in active war zones or spreading good old loving kindness as a barista in my local coffee shop. Peacemaking happens everywhere and starts with each of us, and beautiful people like those in the couchsurfing community seem to understand that more than most!

Liam: I have been making electronic music since the age of 13 and love sharing what fascinates me about music and creativity. (i'm always looking to play music with new people) Although, I am just a student of Buddhism, I spent time studying with practitioners as well as academics and would love to discuss and share ideas on spirituality of all sorts. Spending a lot of time on computers since an early age I have learned to navigate various creative softwares and would love to share or try to help you with your computer problems or interests. I grew up with politically active parents and have had a passion for certain kinds of political activism, thus am happy to try my best to answer any questions you may have on American politics.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, United States