My recent move from the Philippines to the Bay Area had placed me out of the hosting sphere but I’m back!

I have met a lot of great people in Couchsurfing and some of them became long-term friends! Connection is keeping me on this platform and I would love to network with more people from across the globe. Hosting is my way of traveling when I cannot go out of my work shell. I would love to host people from different backgrounds and I would appreciate it if you could take the time to read through hosting arrangements before requesting a couch.

MORE ABOUT ME
I have spent a significant amount of my life in education from being a classroom teacher to supervising education programs and now back to being a classroom teacher in one of the inner city schools in the Bay Area. In between, I have volunteered in some civic society organizations mostly focusing on education-related programs. At some point, I tried corporate jobs but realized that I thrive better in the education sector. I am hoping to transition to being a digital nomad in three to four years but I am still figuring out the best career options for such a move.

Outside work, I love to travel and explore new places, learn more about culture, meet people, and exchange stories. I believe that stories are powerful and each story has the power to change the world. There is so much that we can learn from each other to build tolerance where people from diverse backgrounds can live in a more pluralistic society and a more livable world.

TRAVEL GOALS
In case you would like to do it with me or you have suggestions how to travel here on a shoestring budget, here are some short-term travel goals for 2024:
July - South America (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Honduras)
Take Amtrak Train from Oakland to Chicago and explore east coast from there
Explore different Amtrak routes across US and California

Connect with me on IG: @nomadtcher

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Community! We can do it better when we do it together and kindness is sweeter when shared with more. I would like to connect with fellow travelers to spark deep conversations and do activities together. I'd like to experience the very culture of the locals in every place I will be hopping to. The best way to experience such is to stay with the locals and gain first-hand learning from the people who are fully immersed. I would also like to build connection with people from different places giving myself a wider outlook to believe that we are all living in the same pale blue dot planet.

Interests

Randomness is my thing. I can be a voracious reader, a tech fanatic, an artist, a people person and an introvert at different points of time. Consistency might be a genius but I find it boring.

I never grew up physical but I ended up doing some sports (if they call them one) because of my love for the outdoors and adventures. I have developed my physical strength late but I have been compelled to do better to survive long treks and challenging mountain climbs.

At the end of the day it all boils down to my love for travel and exploration! All my interests are offshoots of my passion for travel and my learnings from them.

• culture
• books
• design
• interior design
• crafts
• gardening
• traveling
• mathematics

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to random music although I prefer Matchbox 20, Script, Maroon 5 and reggae music. Jason Mraz is chill. Recently, indie music has gone into my Spotify playlist.

The Count of Montecristo is a classic! The Alchemist is timeless! Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot has transformed how I see the world we live in, the universe and our place in it. In between, I like Michio Kaku’s, Richard Dawkin’s, and Stephen Hawking’s! John Grisham also got into me at some point.

I watched the Inception twice and I can watch it a couple times more! Star Wars fan! Ruroni Kenshin!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have done things that were only part of my imagination before:
*Scuba diving
*Cliff jumping
*Night hiking

I have always limited myself to what I have been used to doing and has allowed fear to get into myself. Interestingly, as I tried new things and get into new adventures, I realized that things are normally scary at first. As they say, we are afraid of the things that we don’t know.

Teach, Learn, Share

I once volunteered to teach English in a language camp and tutored Math. I am facinated with talks and conferences so I find time to attend one in between my travels. I like sharing ideas and hearing something new. For me, there is no such thing as an absurd idea in the same way that there is no limit in our imagination.

We can discuss all things in random and see how I could give you a best shot of my self-proclaimed wisdom. :)

I like volunteering for noble causes especially those that target the UN sustainable development goals. Personally, SDG 4 and SDG 6 are top priorities but all SDG’s are intertwined (e.g. Quality Education for All is impossible to achieve without eradicating poverty and ensuring everyone has access to quality food) and impact each other. There’s a huge space that we need to fill for that change to happen but I’m trying to fill the space that I can.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Just let me know if there is anything I could help you with and I will be happy to lend a hand. In one of my Couchsurfing experiences, I offered to tutor my host's children who were home-schooled. I can also cook and share random recipes with love! I love plants and gardening so if you need a hand to do some gardening and any plant-related stuff, I could help. I can also be that handyman you might need. :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines, Thailand, United States