CURRENT MISSION

To be passionate about life.

ABOUT ME

I used to spend my summers manning a historic fire lookout in the Willamette National Forest from June to October. Now I'm permanently employed in Harrisburg, PA with a very comfortable (also historic) studio to share with traveling souls.

PHILOSOPHY

A life lived in fear is a life half-lived (quote from Strictly Ballroom).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have a very comfortable air mattress that's not being used! I've had very wonderful experiences with couchsurfing. It warms my heart to know that people will open their homes to me and, in return, allow me to open mine to them.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Man, I've had a lot of good experiences! One of the first times I used this site for a place to stay was in Bend, OR at a house of college students. They were so welcoming, eclectic, laidback and kind, and they let me come and go for a couple of days as if I was a part of their family (or frat house). In return I spent some of my spare time deep-cleaning the kitchen and living areas (they were college kids, ya know), and they were super grateful. After that they started calling me Mom. It was touching. I've garnered many more rewarding hosting/traveling tales since.

Interests

Theatre, hiking, rafting, kayaking and canoeing (novice here), biking, multimedia art shows, environmental conservation and advocation, equal rights for EVERYONE! Piano, guitar, good novels, Sun Magazine, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, a great movie on Netflix with a friend and a bowl of popcorn.

• arts
• writing
• dancing
• ballroom dancing
• coffee
• happy hour
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• opera
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• astronomy
• history
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Memoirs of a Geisha, The Alchemist and anything by Noam Chomsky and Dan Brown.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Canoed the San Juan River for four nights and five days with a good friend. Epic and soul-cleansing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've done a lot of research on 1830s pioneer America. Sound interesting? Being a fire lookout in the Cascades, I know a fair amount about Oregon geologic history, flora and fauna. Also, I carry my guitar with me and can show people the four chords that will enable them to play pretty much any song in the world.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Help with housework, cooking, cleaning, card-playing, good conversation.