~I just turned 50 this year
~I enjoy traveling--but I guess everyone else on this site does as well!
~I hike every Sunday near my home.
~I have two grown children
~ I pretend to knit (I've never produced anything other than scarves).
~I volunteer at a national park near my home picking up trash---it's not glamorous, but hey, someone has to do it!
~The top five items on my "Things to Do or Experience" Bucket List at this moment are seeing a black bear in the wild, learning how to make cheese, walking the Pieterpad in the Netherlands, climbing Mt. Fuji, and attending an opera.
~The top 10 "Travel Destinations" on my Bucket List include: The Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Japan, Peru (random, huh?), and the Faroe Islands.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm participating in Couchsurfing because it enables me to travel with a twist--the twist being the ability to meet new people, and to see and experience things that I would miss out on in a dull, boring, and expensive hotel room.

Interests

I enjoy hiking and biking--my biggest cycling accomplishment was completing 184 1/2 miles of the C&O Canal in three days. I did this twice, two summers in a row. My biggest hiking accomplishment was hiking the Camino de Santiago in 2013. I started in St. Jean Pied de Port, France and finished in Santiago, Spain. I walked 500 miles in 35 days. Both of these activities encapsulate the things that I love the most: traveling, exploring, and learning. I'm very fortunate to live in an area that has countless state and national parks with miles and miles of hiking trails. I hike every weekend, year round, in all types of weather. Being outside is my "happy place," so I have to get a good dose of it frequently.

• cooking
• cheese
• walking
• traveling
• knitting
• opera
• cycling
• hiking
• rock climbing
• volunteering
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

My Favorites:

Movies:
Dirty Dancing, The Way, and October Sky

Music: Music is very mood dependent for me. I like many different types...classical guitar, Handel's Water music, The Pogues (Dirty Old Town & A Rainy Night in Soho), Hallelujah (sung by anyone!), just to name a few. I'll listen to just about anything from Queen, any time, any place. Lately the song Happy sung by Pharrell makes me...umm....happy!

Books: I tend to lean toward nonfiction. I am currently reading The Appalachian Trail: A Journey of Discovery by Jan D. Curran

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My husband and I drove down to Florida to witness the last space shuttle launch. Atlantis took off for it's final voyage on July 8, 2011 and we watched in awe from the shoreline at the Kennedy Space Center--it was amazing

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share my website with you...
My friend Tom and I regularly hike in the tri-state area where we live. If you want to learn more...check it out!
http://www.cocanal.com/

What I Can Share with Hosts

~I'm not particularly talented in the area of meal preparation (my husband does most of the cooking in our house), so I won't be much help in that department. I can, however, wash dishes with a smile!

~If your English skills need a bit of work, I'm the perfect person to help you out! I taught conversational English in Spain and China.

~I love to talk! (Is that a good thing or a bad thing?)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States