Isn't this always the most painful box to fill in?

Well let's see, I tend to spend 3-4 months a year these days backpacking, with the other 8-9 living almost off grid on my permaculture project in Canada.

In my travels, I tend to spend at least a month volunteering, mostly in the field of natural building and permaculture. I believe whole heartedly that we are in the midst of a societal shift, starting from the soil out. This new mindset is still in its infancy, and can all learn from each other and share what we know.

I've been travelling for the better part of the last 11 years, but have a low (ish) country count as I believe whole-heartedly in staying in one place long enough to really get to know it.

So yes, languages are a huge passion of mine, as are plants, people, and living life to the very fullest... oh and the planet. We're not hardcore hippies by any means, but we probably fit into the category a bit... not the preachy kind, don't worry.

If you're really curious about who I am then feel free to check out my website stepupdivein.com, I write under a pseudonym Jonny Jenkins, though these days I've forgotten why...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting new people while travelling... that's what it's all about after all.

Interests

Life/Plants/Animals

People/Cultures/Languages

Adventure/Stories... experiences that last a life time

Scuba Diving/Surfing/Swimming... anything in the water

Hockey... any other team sport

Hiking/Camping/Wandering... anything outdoors

Skydiving/Rock climbing/Cliff Diving... anything involved with heights

Barefootedness/Permaculture... any connection with nature

Guitar/Ukulele/Drums - Not saying I'm any good, but love the music

Slack Line/Poi/Juggling - Apparently I think I'm going to start a circus in the
middle of an off-the-grid countryside homestead... because, y'know, I'm smart like that.

• animals
• traveling
• juggling
• homesteading
• music
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• scuba diving
• sports
• rock climbing
• hockey
• swimming
• business
• languages
• volunteering
• ecotourism
• permaculture
• plants
• mindfulness
• shamanism
• off-grid living
• natural building
• ethnobotany
• plant medicine

Music, Movies, and Books

Authors:
Wade Davis, Dan Brown, Jules Verne, Charles Dickens, Bernard Werber, Pierre Rabhi

Artists:
Nahko, Paul Simon, Manu Chao, Xavier Rudd, Micheal Franti, The Beautiful Girls, The John Butler Trio, Brand New, Patrice

Movies:
Avatar, Inception, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, Braveheart, Good Will Hunting

TV Shows: West World, Big Bang Theory, Seinfeld, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones,

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Scuba Diving with a whaleshark
Climbed Mt. Kinabalu (Malaysian Borneo) barefoot
Dived off forty foot cliffs
Angkor Wat, Machu Pichu, Niagara Falls, Amazon river

Teach, Learn, Share

Things that I can teach about (to some extent):

Plants (especially in Canada)
Motivation
Leadership
Business (especially in Canada)
Scuba Diving
Hockey
Travel
Poi
Juggling
Slackline
Natural Building
Permaculture

Things that I seek to learn more about, or get better at:

Languages (French/Spanish/Portuguese/German/Nepali/Amharic/Hindi/Indonesian/Malagasy are the current projects)

Environmental projects
Rock Climbing/Surfing
Plants around the world
International Business
Ecotourism
Sustainable Development

What I Can Share with Hosts

Great vibes,
Hopeful attitude,
Unrelenting curiosity

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Nepal, Thailand