I am a recently retired middle school teacher and am very much in traveling mode these days. My grandchildren occasionally sleep over and use the available room. If the stars align, however, I'd love to meet fellow travelers and host you in my home.

In June 2016, I sold my house and left for a year of travel, teaching, and volunteering in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. I returned to Rhode Island in 2017 and now live in a condo. If you'd like to know more about my year abroad and travels since then, you can see my blog at: http://timothy-flanagan.com/

Please note that I do not live in New York. I have gotten several requests for people visiting New York, but I live three hours from the city. I also prefer to host for no more than two nights at a time.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I started with local Couchsurfing gatherings and met some amazing travelers and hosts. I hosted occasionally over the course of a year and met travelers from all over the world, including two who inspired me to take a leave from my job and travel for a year. Now that I'm back, I want to continue to meet world (and local) travelers, hear their stories, learn from each other and inspire each other.

Interests

I focused on learning photography during my year abroad and sometimes teach it to middle school students. I am always interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities while traveling. I mostly enjoy learning about the world by meeting others.

I am very involved in the Westerly Anti-Racism Coalition (https://westerlyarc.weebly.com) and attend their weekly protests among other activities.

• photography
• education
• technology
• traveling
• teaching
• anti-racism

Music, Movies, and Books

The music of Brazil left a lasting impression on me during my time there. I always seek out new artists and enjoy discovering new sounds, especially radio stations.

Some of the recent books that have left an impression on me include:
The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs
Mama's Boy by Dustin Lance Black
Find Me Unafraid by Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I adopted my two sons from Brazil, was a foster parent to several children, and now have grandchildren.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you're a teacher, I can help you out with using technology in the classroom and share other resources.

I will share my experience teaching, traveling and volunteering overseas, including how to plan a year abroad. If you're interested in adoption or foster care, I have plenty of stories to tell.

I can tell you more about my involvement with the Westerly Anti-Racism Coalition.

Mostly, I'm a good listener, so I'd love to learn about you and where you're from.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Venezuela, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bolivia, Brazil, England, United States, Viet Nam