Hello, nice to meet you all! My name is Tate, I'm from the US, and I'm currently hitchhiking from Istanbul to Tblisi, Georgia. A friend recommended that I try couchsurfing, so I recently made an account to give it a go! I've been traveling for around 3 years, mostly in Asia, and it's my first time in this part of the world so I would really love to learn more about the culture, history, religion, and cuisine of Turkey.

I graduated a few years ago from college where I studied Philosophy, with a concentration in Buddhist philosophy- I am a Buddhist with a daily meditation practice and I've stayed at Buddhist temples all across Asia on my own spiritual journey. If you are seeking yourself, I would love to have a conversation!

I also make all kinds of art and music and I'm always exploring these things in every new country I visit. I'd love to hear some of your recommendations!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on couchsurfing to have interesting conversations, to delve more into the local culture, and most importantly, to make new friends!

Interests

• meditation
• music
• anthropology
• history
• philosophy
• spirituality
• buddhism

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite Artists:
Duval Timothy
Bremer/McCoy
Lewlewal De Podor
Phum Vipurit

Movies:
What Time is it There?
Avatar The Last Airbender
Whiplash

Books:
Cat's Cradle
World War Z
ZhuangZi
Zen Mind Beginner's Mind

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I recently left Japan, where I lived there for three months in a Zen training monastery side-by-side with monks and nuns who were training in all the forms and arts of Zen. It was a time of deep practice and meaning, where I was able to learn about Zen Buddhism not just with my mind, but with my body as well. I plan to continue my path later this year, where I will go to stay for more months at another Zen training monastery in a different Zen tradition.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've picked up many things during my travels! I can teach any of these things, including:

Thai Massage
Zen Meditation
Chinese Ancient Calligraphy
Ghanaian Drum and Dance
Eastern History and Philosophy
Chinese (and bits of other languages, like Thai, Mongolian, German, Nepali)

Learn;
I would love to learn anything you have to share or teach! Especially regarding the local culture, language, customs, religion, food, music, or anything else. Later in my travels, I can teach others what you teach me :)

Share:
I can share my experiences traveling, things that have expanded my mind, and things that have deeply changed me. Of course, I would love to hear about you as well.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Apart from the things mentioned above, I am also totally willing to help out with any chores or cleaning or favors you may need from me. At the Zen temple, they have you do everything, from chopping wood, to digging mud, to cleaning bathrooms, so I'm used to doing all and any kind of work :)

I love to help out! So let me know what I can do and how I can make myself useful and give back in some way.

Excited to meet you!

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Ghana, Mongolia, Namibia, Nepal, Philippines, Poland, South Korea

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Germany, India, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand