I have been living in Vienna since 2011 after many years abroad: worked for the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, e.g. as secretary at the Austrian Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden and Kinshasa, Zaire.
Lived 1 year in Barbados, W.I., where I worked as assistant of a photographer.
On return I became chief secretary of Joram Harel Management meeting Hundertwasser, Arik Brauer, Samy Molcho and other artists.
Finally I realized my dream and became an airhostess, flying for Lufthansa, German Airlines on Airbus A-300 and DC-10.
Married, managed a tennishall, sauna and shop for 7 years in the outskirts of Cologne, Germany.
Moved to Bavaria and worked as secretary until divorce in 1999.
Back home to Vienna with my 2 kids. Worked as order handler for Borealis, Schwechat.
Moved to Hungary and lived there a while.
Met an English man during holidays on Cyprus and moved to Derbyshire where I worked as manager of a gift shop, waitress, secretary and later on teller/retail assistant at the Derbyshire Building Society in Bakewell.
Retired in Vienna after having worked for 41 years in Austria and abroad.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I finally would like to realize another of my dreams now: a round-the-world trip starting in autumn 2015.
On honey moon I went to Oahu and Kauai and back to Frankfurt for only 10 % of the flight costs being a stewardess of Lufthansa :-D
And working as an airhostess I went to North and South America, Canada, Africa and Asia - apart from many cities in Europe of course.
Never been to Australia and New Zealand yet where I want to go to for a year starting pretty soon - working as a volunteer for WWF, Greenpeace or Seasheperds against free food and board. Or helping locals, animals or the environment for chruches or NGOs. Would be interested in meeting the different tribes and beautiful birds of New Guinea as well as going to many other places that I have been dreaming of ...

Interests

Art, photography, theatre, movies, music, animals, healing, helping others and the environment :-)))

• animals
• birds
• arts
• singing
• photography
• perfumes
• environment
• dining
• sauna
• walking
• flying
• shopping
• flowers
• movies
• music
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Beatles, Rolling Stones, Abba, oldies, operas, operettas, musicals. I love also modern music and will work as voluntary for the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna in May 2015: "Building Bridges" is the message and there will be 40 countries participating - Australia for the first time! :-)))

I love comedies, fantasy and funny movies, and prefer movies with a happy ending :-D The last movie I saw was "Shaun the sheep" together with my grandson last week :-)))

One of my favourite authors is Jean Auel, her Earth's Children saga. But there are many more great books I read over the years. Recently also several by H. H. the Dalai Lama.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Walked over hot coal during a seminar - quite an experience. We learnt that you can make happen everything you want if you really want it!

Teach, Learn, Share

While living in Bavaria I taught English at an intermediate level to a group of 5 Bavarian ladies for Volkshochschule Rosenheim.
At Berlitz School Vienna I got Certificate Decré Supérieur as Interprète Commercial.
I studied photography at the New York Institute of Photography while living in Barbados, W.I. and passed the first of 3 tests with excellent results.
I am a certified Foreign Language Secretary tested by IHK Munich.
I got Grade A in the examination for the First Certificate in English by the University of Cambridge, Local Examination Syndicate of Munich, Germany.
ECDL European Computer Driving Licence Advanced Certificate.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I would like to show them Vienna, my lovely home town :-)))
As I rent a 1-room-apartment and only have 1 bed - no sofa - there is no room for guests. Only my grandson was welcome to share my bed once while visiting.

Am interested in learning more about alternative healing methods and everything else I don't know yet. Life is constant learning and full of new experiences and people every day :-D

I do love and enjoy also the little things like tiny blooming flowers, listening to birds singing, walking in the woods, sitting in the shade - watching and smelling the sea, looking for seashells or beautiful stones, laying in grass watching clouds and dreaming...

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United States, Vatican City State, Venezuela

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Barbados, Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, United Kingdom