This time next year, I’d like to make a down payment into my first property in cottage country because that’s always been a dream of mine. Sure, it might be a while before the walls go up to build the cabin but I love camping enough that owning a property would be fantastic in the meantime. I’m not sure how I feel about elaborate kitchens and plasma screens up North anyway – in the perfect cottage, you shouldn’t have to take your shoes off at the front door not to mention duck under a chandelier! I like the more rustic style.

I appreciate people that have been through both good and bad things in their life and enjoy hearing the stories that shaped a person along the way. I think people would be pretty bland if they cruised through life without any hiccups; maybe it’s just part of a ‘what goes around comes around’ philosophy but character building moments are important.

I really ‘try’ to stay in touch with what’s going on around the world as much as possible – I have to emphasize ‘try’ because school can be pretty busy sometime. If I could pick how many hours there should be in a day, I think I’d go with 30; a few extra to get a firmer grip on current events and maybe a couple more for daily spontaneity. I should probably mention that I’m wrapping up my last year in engineering so I’m probably not a very good match for someone who isn't comfortable with some independent time - things get pretty hectic occasionally.

I wouldn’t consider myself any sort of extreme environmentalist but I think it’s important that people pull their weight when they can to keep this country as awesome as it was when we grew up. I’ve read enough to know there isn’t and probably won’t ever be a band aid super-solution to solve the energy or pollution issues but I absolutely love innovation in all its forms. To brighten up my dorm room in first year, I adopted a wide variety of cool plants and must say (without trying to brag) but I’ve got knack for keeping them green and flowering! I really enjoy it!

I have 3 best friends, 2 of them I’ve known since I was 3 and the other not too long after. I value them more than anything in the world and would be there at the drop of a hat for any one of them. Speaking of character building, they were a great help and don’t know where I’d be without them. I’ve also met some pretty incredible people in Waterloo as well, good friends are important to me.

I have big life plans but don’t get too wrapped up in the monthly details, I know the direction I’d like to go and (hopefully) I’m on the right track so far.

What I look for most in a person is passion: I don’t care if it’s a passion for bird watching, cooking, photography or kayaking – someone who gets excited to talk about what they love is amazing! If you haven’t found your passion yet, hey no worries but I hope you keep looking! It’s much easier to get out of bed in the morning when you’re excited about something. Having a good sense of humour helps with the daily grind too.

Other than that, I’ll never describe what I’m looking for in a girl because I don’t think people should have a checklist, it just has to click you know?

It would really pain me to write a cookie cutter date down in this space – it’s supposed to and will be as unique as the person that I'm with. That said, I think first dates are better low key to make sure that there's lots of time for good chats.