I like spring and fall, because it means change is coming. My favorite times of day are dawn and twilight. I like traveling best by foot, bicycle or train. Airplanes terrify me (but I still get on them).

Every day is a dance, and I try to look for it but sometimes forget. I strongly believe that "ordinary" people are actually the most extraordinary there are.

I believe that I can only be so strong as the community of which I am a part.

Laughter is liquid sunshine.

I never miss being inside when I am outside, but very often miss being outside when I am inside.

These are my truths: to grow my own food (and share it with others), to practice reckless optimism, and to be in the present moment.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" is my current life philosophy.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

What is traveling without meeting new friends? When I visit a new city I hope to leave it full of laughter and good connections.

Interests

I LOVE to be outside and do it as much as possible, which gives me the opportunity to do many of the other things I enjoy doing including hiking, bicycling, walking, reading, journaling, dancing, and meditating. I really enjoy going for runs and listening to podcasts.

I like listening to live concerts/attending dance improvisation events, cooking/baking, watching British mysteries (especially Miss Marple), drinking tea, good conversation, asking questions, watercolor.

I like cats and large dogs, the smell of freshly-baked bread and the air after a good long rain. I like to play music, especially with other people. My favorite word in Spanish is "colibrí" (hummingbird).

• literature
• meditation
• reading
• traveling
• live music
• classical music
• hiking
• kayaking
• trail running
• languages
• tea
• cooperative living
• contact improvisation
• deep conversations
• organic gardening
• organic farming
• beekeeping
• unitarian universalist
• fiddling
• deep listening

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Andrew Bird, Gregory Alan Isakov, Sarah Jarosz, Bon Iver, Sigur Rós, Slow Dive, Dessa and so many more. I love The Lark Ascending, and Bach, Debussy and Satie.

Movies: The Lives of Others, Little Women, Kiki's Delivery Service (really any Miyazaki), The Intouchables

Books: Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Diary of Anne Frank, All the Light We Cannot See, Habibi, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Mary Oliver, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Once I had to sneak off an island in Ecuador because the resident spider monkey was angry and on the prowl (we made it out to tell the tale).

More recently, I watched the sunrise over Lake Michigan in silent togetherness with people I had just met.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to play Irish fiddle and know plenty of tunes if anyone is interested in learning! I also really enjoy cooking and baking--especially breads, quiches, and soups.

I would be happy to share stories of what I know from my little corner of the world (the Midwest USA). And, I would be even more delighted to hear what you know, from where and when and how you are.

I have an interest in growing vegetables, weather systems, traditional musics, poetry of all kinds, and bicycling. I don't feel particularly knowledgeable about any of the above but I am always willing to discuss these and other topics of interest to you!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, laughter, many questions, conversation, and the perspective of someone new!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Cambodia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Panama, Scotland, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Ecuador, Ireland, Norway, United States