CURRENT MISSION

To bring a smile into the lives of others

ABOUT ME

Andrew and Yolande love travelling and meeting new people so for 9 months of the year, we open our carbon neutral home as an 'organic homestay' which is on the borders of Herefordshire, Forest of Dean and Wales in the UK.

For the remaining 3 months of the year - we go travelling. Our biggest trip to date was in 2012 - starting in Nepal, going through South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and travelled overland from Santiago, Chile to Mexico City. Last year, we backpacked around Burma and North/Northeast Thailand.

We also love to garden, cook and bake so live a low-impact lifestyle by growing all our own food (including quinoa and amaranth) as well as making our own ciders, beers, preserves, jams etc.

We always like to learn new things. This year, Andrew is focusing on the forest garden and Yolande is experimenting with learning to make soaps, shampoos and washing up liquid out of home-grown herbs.

Self References:
We are regular dog-walkers and dog-sitters for our elderly neighbours, and have worked in (and managed) many different hostels around the world including the Isle of Iona in Scotland, Poneloya Beach in Nicaragua.

PHILOSOPHY

Trust and allow, and all is well.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We love to listen to and share stories with others, and look forward to hosting couch surfers in the future

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Fantastic! Our couchsurfing experiences have been fabulous - an opportunity to share and learn about where and how other people live.

Interests

We both love the outdoors - walking, cycling and sailing. We are lucky to live in the Wye Valley (which is designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and have hedge-lined paths, ancient woodlands and the River Wye on our doorstep.

Yolande is a published author and is the Founder of an annual Festival in Ross-on-Wye.

Andrew is a passionate (and very capable gardener) and is a volunteer speaker on 'Ancient Woodlands' for the Woodland Trust

• dogs
• writing
• beauty
• festivals
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• walking
• gardening
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• sailing
• volunteering
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: We both love to read a diverse range of genres.
Movies: Andrew: Shawshank Redemption Yolande: Tim Burton's 'Nightmare before Christmas'. We enjoy watching a broad range of English- and foreign-speaking films esp. those that make us laugh.
Music: Coldplay, Turin Brakes, Natasha Atlas, Bhakta and so much more!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Doing: Living a simple life ... we sold or gave away all our possessions (flat, car, jewellery etc) in 2010/11.

Seeing: We continue to be overwhelmed by the beauty of Nature whether it be at sunrise, sunset, in a forest, by the seaside or just standing still and seeing ...

Teach, Learn, Share

We can all learn something from someone

What I Can Share with Hosts

We love to garden, cook, bake and/or take the dogs out for a walk. We're also happy to entertain hosts and their guests with our stories and experiences.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom