Hi, I live in South West Wales in a town called Carmarthen, (my family is from North Wales, I grew up in Liverpool and have been in South West Wales since 2009 after travelling a lot).

Before I get started, let me tell you I HAVE A DOG, she is mostly deerhound mixed with greyhound, which is called an Old English Long Dog or a Lurcher. She is beautiful, gentle and mostly keeps herself to herself spending half her life asleep as Lurchers do: She is very well behaved and of no issued to any adult or child or any other animal. She is quiet to the point of silence but will bark on a field to play with other dogs :). I just need to let you know from the start that I HAVE A DOG whom is very long and tall. I'm saying this because I've had people come to stay, knowing I have a dog and then say they don't like dogs and have asked can I actually put her away in a room, the answer to which is fairly obvious. So yes we have a large dog :)

We have a train station and a large bus station, so if you are fit and healthy you can get almost anywhere with some walking thrown in ;)

Here is a link to hidden Wales: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2712723982176996/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=7478198612296152

Alos, here is another link on FaceBook to I love Wales: https://www.facebook.com/groups/563855813990883/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=2265416497168131

I absolutely recommend you go to the coast, especially Southern down off the M4 (it has a castle and a functioning castle garden; geologists come from all over the world to explore it), Nash-Point, a stunning rock beach of great sculptural beauty and Ogmore by Sea (sand to rock pools) are part of the same coast line and beautiful and breath taking and quiet; I lived along that coast line for many years and spent every day wandering the beauty there. half an hour away on the train is Pembrokeshire Castle which is incredible and many people really enjoy the nearby town of Tenby (it's cute, colourful, ancient with a sandy beach but very busy in the summer). 11 miles from here is Llansteffan beach with a castle ruins, it's a steep but lovely walk up to it but the views are worth it (the beach is rubbish though, just sand and boggy mush that seeps into the estuary, however, if you get the train (only one stop) to the other side of the estuary, Ferry Side is lovely, good stones, a place to eat and the water is clean to walk in, the views, beautiful and calming.

A few miles up the road we have a Buddhist centre called Skandavale where a rescued elephant lives (he is old now and kept away from the public but still sleeps next to the man that found him and saved him :). https://www.skandavale.org/. There are many beaches here, well it's the coast but the ones above are absolutely the hidden jewels of this area. Of course you can go inland into the Brecon beacons etc, wonderful mountains, canals, waterfalls :).

Please just call me Bar, it's easier than Bariane (pronounced Barreeanne). I'm very social and chatty and can also be very quiet too..... I'm honest and straight forward, relaxed, easy going and well lived like an old book. I get on with my life independently and most of the best people I have ever met have been when I travelled, lived abroad and the couch surfers whom have visited here :)

Basically, I am happy for you to come and go as you please: cook for yourselves, soak in the bath or take a shower, lie on the sofa and watch a film, listen to music; my home is your home. If you want to spend time with me, please do, if not, no worries :). Please wash your dishes if you cook and use your own food, I am not a hotel. Basically leave thing as you find them. I am happy if you need to wash clothes. etc. Truly, please just be at home.

I'm 56 (oooooo the crone years I believe :)) and am told I am humorous and intelligent and generous and a bit barmy (I think that means I'm eccentric). I'm a mother of two amazing daughters, one is 35 and lives in Manchester, it's about 200 miles away and then there is my youngest whom is nearly 14 (fantastic human being) whom lives with me from Saturday to Wednesday ; the other days she is off to her father's; during this time this means you can stay in her room with a double bed and also there is a spare double (new) mattress beneath the bed that can be pulled out if there are a few of you (the mattress can go downstairs too). I can host from Wednesday to Saturday only as the rest of the time my daughter needs her freedom and privacy; it's a small Welsh house and queues for the bathroom, or everyone bumping around the kitchen, etc. just don't work for her anymore and I respect that. During the school holidays, we are more open.

I've a small home (we call Narnia) with a good garden. It has a pond with Axolotls, an outdoor stove, so feel free to chill by the pond if you like and be warm, or have have a BBQ on the patio or just light the stove and be enjoy the glow. I've a decent sized kitchen with everything anybody needs. You can smoke tobacco indoors (except for bedrooms) ..... but nothing else. Honestly, truly, just please be at home and explore South West Wales and all it's beauty and the gateway to glorious North Wales, mid Wales.... well just Wales. I would ignore the capital of Cardiff, it's a miserable bin. The next largest town is Swansea which is quite funky with a lovely coastline known as Mumbles.

I have a crumbling spine and a motoneuron disease which means I am in constant pain and have to use crutches outside which does not stop me being a lunatic and I am completely independent to the point of being stubborn but it is a struggle.

You are right in town here (I would call it a close town, attractive with an underbelly of the alternative..... everything you need is here and was once the original Capital of Wales. There are a few good places to go for food and a drink and in the summer, live music around and about.

I've travelled a lot and lived abroad in the USA, New Zealand and Austria. I've had a full life and I truly embrace and enjoy people from all cultures (I'll teach you to speak Liverpudlian if you like ;). I am involved in a spoken word community. I'm a singer/songwriter, a poet and lean towards short stories as I struggle with novel writing, I get too caught up in a moment and five pages later I am still stuck with someone looking out of a window and so on and so forth; I ruminate too much for novel work. I am desperately searching for a guitarist at the moment (I do play but it's limited as my left hand does not work in the way it used to) and also would love a fiddle player, a pianist (oh I have a piano here.... full sized keyboard, feel free to play if you can and two guitars too).

That's about it really, I suppose, I think.... just ask me anyway :).
We are a simple, friendly, chilled household who takes each day is it comes and you will be met with open arms and respect.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

It's simple, I love to learn and share life stories, culture and diversity :). I like to offer a free, safe space to enable people to explore the world, well South West Wales anyway :).

Interests

I write, seriously. I garden and learn as I go, my garden is my free space that is not contrived and I watch it change and morph; it fills me with interest and joy. I play a little guitar once a millennium ;). I used to be a painter and dabbled with photography enjoying the private relationship one can have with a camera https://bluesambar.wixsite.com/bariane-rowlands.

I read avidly, collect stones, driftwood or whatever and a million other things :). I used to be a gymnast, athlete and a swimmer, also studied yoga and physique building but due to my disabilities, I am unable to enjoy such anymore. I studied interdisciplinary literature, theatre, linguistics and writing at university. I was once an apprentice thatcher (straw rooves (well it was French Water reed actually). Oh I used to ride motorbikes, my dearest love was a CB HOND 900 :).

• singing
• gardening
• reading
• music
• anthropology
• psychology
• art
• mythology
• film
• song writing
• writing poetry
• drift wood and stones
• urban mythology
• witing prose

Music, Movies, and Books

Reading much on short stories that oppose narrative structures at the moment and deal with neaurodiverse people whom are creative (write) and how they see the world; I'm very interested in Dadism, Kurt Schwitters, etc. One of my favorites is Xiaolu Guo (all of her writings are fantastic and her films), I love Javier Marias and Alice Hoffman, the list is endless; you will see my book shelves from theory to fiction to poetry: films anything from Central Station, Smoke, Usual suspects, The Shawshank Redemption, Run Lola Run, Ameli, Like Water for Chocolate, The tit and the moon, David Lynch to Jindabyne, The boat that rocked, Dave made a Maze, Terminator and Aliens; I love international films: French, Brazilian, Cuban, German, you name it. Music is too varied and too elective to list such (but I'm a child from the 60's, teenage years the 80's, so I can't help but still enjoy some of my youthful music:))..... I listen to Phillip Glass, Mark Hollis, 12 string guitar, folk, rock, indie, old pop, Bon Ivor, Johnny Flynn, Xavier Rudd and so on and so forth...... told ya, it's eclectic :)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I grew and pushed out and raised two human beings! Kind of a big thing really.

Teach, Learn, Share

There is nothing to be taught that you don't already know, only the sharing and exploration of such!
My personal saying in life is: More than one is always a dictatorship!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I don't travel anymore, I host!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States