I'm a fairly outgoing individual who enjoys meeting new people and learning about their ways of life. I am originally from a small town on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, but grew up in urban Canada. Being this odd mix, I feel like I'm regularly learning about both of these cultures, having only attended my first Thanksgiving dinner at the age of 21.

In university I studied engineering, but have a diverse variety of interests including psychology, mechanics, and politics. I love learning. I'll spend my free time taking online courses, learning how things work, and exploring new areas. Travelling opens my mind and teaches me new things, so it's always been at the top of my "how to spend money" list.

"Familiarity and Comfort need to be challenged."

"I hate having my life disrupted by routine." - Caskie Stinnett

"Embrace the detours." - Kevin Charbonneau

If you'd like to learn even more about me, you can find about my hobbies and my travels on my personal website, www.jchernus.com.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I surf, host, attend, and occasionally organize events (though in recent times, Meetup has taken over this side of things). :)

You may notice that I have more friends than I do references. This is because I have convinced a number of my friends to join CS. Needless to say, the ones that have tried it, have loved it!

I've really enjoyed the experiences that CS has offered me. I won't remember what I slept on (except for Anders' hammock, of course), but I'll no doubt remember all of the people that I shared experiences with. Everything from rock climbing in Denmark, via ferrata in France, learning guitar in Montreal, traditional family dinners, bike rides, board game nights, to cooking and many more.

Thank you, CSers!

Interests

Rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, hiking, camping, canoeing. I can't think of any outdoors activity I wouldn't love!

Gas RC trucks, AI, robots, technology of any and all sorts.

Board games, puzzles, challenges, checkers.

• books
• cooking
• technology
• board games
• traveling
• puzzles
• survival
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• canoeing
• camping
• skiing
• rock climbing
• engineering
• psychology
• hitchhiking

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I go back to my hometown in Russia every year and go mushroom picking, just as all of the locals do. I wander through dense forest looking for chanterelles and aspens, amidst the craters left by the bombs dropped during WWII training. Occasionally I'll bump into an unexploded bomb, and if I wanted too far south I'll be in the operating military base - rockets, tanks and all.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: Programming, some Russian cooking, DIY lamp or poker table, basic rock climbing, mushroom & berry picking.

Learn: more rock climbing, outdoor survival, cultural cooking, what books to read next, hitchhiking, travelling on a small budget, WWOOFing.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Denmark, Russian Federation

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