CURRENT MISSION

To reprioritize what's important, find simplicity and stay passionate about everything

ABOUT ME

Food and wine are my passion. If I can be surrounded by good friends, old or new, share a delicious meal, open a favorite bottle of wine and do this while traveling, I would be content to die and go to heaven and do it all over again. Although jumping out of a plane, running off a clift, or bungee jumping are pretty up there!

PHILOSOPHY

I'm soul searching now to answer that question. All of my energy has been spent on working but I think it's time to make a big change in my life and rediscover what really makes me happy.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've only hosted once and what I learned from it is that people really don't want you to just lend them a bed. They really want you to engage and host. It was a very important lesson for me.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've now stayed with two hosts and have only been shown tremendous kindness. I look forward to many more experiences.

Interests

I'll try anything once. I love anything to do with being in the sky. My final goal is to work in Africa at an elephant or big cat orphanage. My passion right now is wine and wine making.

• cats
• dining
• wine
• wine tasting
• running
• traveling
• bungee jumping
• business

Music, Movies, and Books

The Alchemist is always a winner when traveling or soul searching. Re-read 100 Years of Solitude while in Columbia. 2666 from Roberto Bolaño, a Chilean author was given as a gift after finishing wine harvest. A book called Brothers by Yu Hua, a Chinese author. Amazing. I read a lot of chef's bios and was inspired by Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton.
Love classic movies but the movie that moved
me the most recently is called the Last Lions. It reminds me of how fragile the earth we live on is.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Working wine harvest and making organic and bio-dynamic wine in Chile at Emiliana

Teach, Learn, Share

I have been working in the hospitality business a long time starting as a pastry chef and doing everything since. I can write a solid business and marketing plan, write a sales and operating budget, lead a wine tasting, bake an amazing creme brulee, mix an old fashioned, wash dishes at a rapid rate, carry 12 plates with silver tops, clear a table of 6 and make a latte. I'd like to teach through example that anything is possible if you can dream it. I am learning to take a leap of faith and in turn hoping to become more compassionate and magnanimous.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Maldives, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vatican City State, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States