My Facebook profile, most of which is public:
https://www.facebook.com/ambyrle

I'm married with three kids (teens). I've lived all over the U.S., including Hawaii. I was born in Spain, but haven't traveled outside North and Central America since I moved to the States when I was 4. I'm looking to change that now that my kids are older.

For potential guests: my husband's a little reluctant/nervous about this whole couch surfing thing, but I'll consider any requests. The more notice you can give when requesting, the better. Since we have kids, you must be verified and we can't have guests present when we aren't home. This won't be an issue for now since I just graduated and am job-hunting, but may become a factor once I start working. We can be flexible for parents traveling with children, however. We enjoy spending time with people and introducing you to places we like (local bars/restaurants or the many outdoor activities in the area) but are also ok with guests who want to do their own thing (as long as your thing isn't stumbling in at 3am wasted on something). We're new at this and still feeling it out. We'd love to have interactions with people of diverse cultural backgrounds and think this would be valuable for our kids as well.

Por que estou no Couchsurfing?

When I travel internationally alone, I'd prefer to stay with locals who can tell me about the city I'm visiting and hopefully provide some recommendations such as restaurants to try. I'd rather experience new places from a local's perspective than a hotel, tour package, etc. I'm an adventurous, go-with-the-flow person when I travel. Music fests and concerts are my favorite reason to travel. I think hosting is a perfect opportunity to learn from diverse individuals. I'm fascinated by people's life stories.

Interesses

• music festivals
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• red wine
• beer
• crafts
• video games
• board games
• reading
• music
• live music
• science
• craft beer
• children
• bass guitar
• research
• restaurants
• bands
• rocksmith

Músicas, Filmes e Livros

I always find it overwhelming to attempt to answer this question.

I'll at least say this: the three names that I appear in my music collection the most: Dave Matthews Band, Mike Doughty, and Weird Al Yankovic.

Movies: so, so many

Books: I haven't been able to indulge much the last few years in grad school. I can't be trusted with fiction. I get sucked into a story and just can't pull myself out of it till the book ends, foregoing sleep and responsibilities in the process. I sure do love it, though. The most recent guilty pleasures were "Ready Player One" and the Atlantis Gene trilogy (by Riddle). I'm also a fan of Vonnegut. "Breakfast of Champions" is one of my favorite books ever and a quotation from it sums up my life philosophy: Until death, it's all life.

Uma Coisa Incrível que Eu Fiz

Amazing accomplishment? Completing my Master's degree as a single mom when my husband had to live elsewhere for work.

Travel related: my husband and I went to an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica 10 or so years ago. I met a Jamaican woman working there who invited me to her home. It was a very different world beyond the resort's boundaries. Seeing where she lived, meeting her extended family, experiencing Jamaica through their eyes...it was incredible. As "poor" as they and their living conditions were, I had the deep sense that in many ways, they were richer than any American home I'd ever visited. There was so much love, warmth, and connection between them; I felt very lucky she shared this with me. It was by far the most meaningful and valuable part of the trip.

Ensine, Aprenda, Compartilhe

Anything and everything. I'm very open to all kinds of people. Everyone has a story and I'm happy hearing others' as well as sharing my own. I'm an open book!

O Que Posso Compartilhar com Anfitriões

Take me to your favorite places to eat (anything from local dives to fancier places) and I'll buy your meal :) I also love cooking for people. I've been doing hand crafts most of my life (sewing, knitting, crochet, etc.) and would be happy to teach these things. I get along great with kids and pets. I'll have to think about what else I can add to this as I get more familiar with the site...

Países que Visitei

Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, Ireland, Jamaica, Netherlands, Spain

Países em que Morei

Spain, United States