CURRENT MISSION

currently? right now, to try to be concise. I'm not good at it.

ABOUT ME

Paulus and I are in our early fifties, living a rich and varied life (or a crazy and chaotic life, depending on how you want to spin it...) We are active in ecological/environmental causes and groups. Paulus has his own eco-handyman business (working with wood and leem and trees, mostly) and I have a Shiatsu and aromatherapy practice, am on call for my elderly father, and devote a lot of time now to the Bernie Sanders campaign. (I am going to be a delegate from New York!)

PHILOSOPHY

Live every day to the fullest: follow your dreams, don't be afraid to take risks, and remember to be grateful.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We used to have people come stay with us in Utrecht... then we moved to Belgium, took some time to get settled, and eventually put our couchsurfing profile back in order. We tried surfing ourselves for the first time in December (2012), in France, and enjoyed it very much. Now we have moved to the US, where we have been housesitting in Ithaca. Starting in May, we will be at a new address where we will have a guest bed... but no kitchen (my husband is re-modeling in exchange for free rent.) It is chaotic. If you are flexible, have a car, and can mostly eat out, we might be able to work out something....

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

The best was staying with the Chinese parents of a friend I made in Belgium, when I was in Beijing. They treated me like their own daughter! I knew a few hundred words of Chinese and they knew slightly more English, and it was wonderful.

Interests

organic gardening, sustainability, the "transitie town" movement
health, healthy food, healthy bodies, healthy practices...
philosophy, spirituality, awareness in general...
music, especially live music, especially in our living room (we have instruments but not enough talent, so we invite talented people over regularly.)
Bernie Sanders! political organizing and empowerment

• performing arts
• causes
• dining
• organic food
• gardening
• eating out
• music
• live music
• drums

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Two or three? not two or three hundred? This is hard. Maybe if I limit myself to the last 24 hours...

I went to a Sunday morning concert today with four musicians playing on old instruments, two from the Dutch speaking half of Belgium, one from the French speaking part, and one from England (on the harp). It was really nice. After the show, I saw an acquaintance/friend in the audience who runs the organic food store where I shop regularly, and she knew one of the musicians, and introduced me... So I ended up chatting with that musician, and then another one, after the performance, and they are excited to come give some house concerts at our place! I like serendipity!

Last night, I went to a different concert, in the yurt of a friend who has an organic garden where people can come pick-your-own. It was just a few people, and we all brought blankets and pillows so we could lie down while listening to the ... music. But it was more a sound-experience than music, with various shamanistic instruments (drums, digerdoo, bells, Tibetan bowls...) The absolute most amazing and cool part was when the performer began chanting with overtones. I have heard many people do this (even learned how to do it myself in a workshop once) but after last night, I realize they/we never really *did* it at all. *This* guy knew what he was doing. If I hadn't sat up to look at him, and heard him draw breath at the beginning and end of each sound, I would have sworn that I was listening to a recording of some bizarre instrument in the back of the yurt. I never would have guessed that a human being could make such a sound.

Now, it isn't often that I go to two musical events in 24 hours, so this section is not giving a very accurate picture, but oh well...

(It also doesn't say anything about Paulus...)

Countries I’ve Visited

China, India, Ireland, Kenya, Nepal, Rwanda, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Kenya, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States