CURRENT MISSION

To take life by the balls, learn a lot, and wind up happily ever after

ABOUT ME

I can be as rowdy as I can be introspective, but I like to try new things and I love meeting new and interesting characters. I stand up for what I believe in (equality, justice, compassion) while at the same time allowing others to be themselves and taking different perspectives into account.

PHILOSOPHY

people are people regardless of anything. radical equality?... maybe, but each person deserves to be treated without prejudice, with love and an open heart and mind... easier said than done, I know. At the same time as watching out for others, it's important to pursue your own path and listen to your heart as you go along.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

When traveling I don't feel like I've really seen a city unless I know someone who lives there and CS is the best way I've found to see a place from an insider's perspective. Hosts have always enriched my experience of travel in ways that cannot be measured. My bff Merlynda and I used a shared CS account as we traveled Europe together in summer 2010 and ever since I have always recommended CS to anyone looking to experience places beyond the tourist hullabaloo.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Summer 2010 was full of surfing experiences for me and my travel partner. Nearly all of my experiences were positive with hosts and fellow surfers. We often relied on CS for meeting locals. Three months of surfing taught me the real value of friendship, trust, hospitality, and the draw of traveling that hooks you for life.

Interests

When I'm at home I like urban homesteading... so I do things like preserving my own vegetables and fruits, making jelly and salsa, baking, and raising chickens, and the like. Baking is a passion of mine, bread and some sweets. I also enjoy hiking and the outdoors, but also walking in the city and suburbs.
When I'm traveling I like watching and learning about people, and I just basically love to learn anything that's offered. I like to have interesting conversations and do fun activities.
Mostly, I'm interested in doing what others like to do because I can be happy no matter what I'm up to, and I find most things exciting and interesting anyway. Plus it gives me a good feeling just to be around people who really enjoy what they're doing, and I find their excitement infectious.

• chickens
• cooking
• baking
• walking
• traveling
• crochet
• drawing
• homesteading
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• surfing

Music, Movies, and Books

big Wes Anderson and Terrence Malick fan, for movie directors. I like the classics in books, my favorites are One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez and The Little Prince by Antoine St. Exupery. I enjoy most music, but lean to old rock n roll and folk, some bluegrass, and blues. Soul is good too, and there is a lot of rap I like from the late 80s and early 90s. I'm tempted to say, hey, I just like music that's good... but we all have different ears neh?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I watched a partial solar eclipse one week followed by a lunar eclipse the next week, all from my home town! I know you aren't supposed to stare at the sun without a filter, but I did it anyways and it was one of the most beautiful and amazing things I've ever seen. My eyesight is not damaged, either, lucky me! I guess I'd rather take a risk than live without experiencing life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have knowledge about cooking and baking that I can share. I can teach how to crochet, too. I'm good at making things and I like to make things with others because it affords us a way to learn together. I want to learn useful knowledge and information, and I want to learn about people, individuals and groups, because that is what I find most invigorating and interesting. I have done some traveling on a minimal budget, and I can share my knowledge and experience here as much as I could use some of yours.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States