CURRENT MISSION

To collect stories from around the globe and then retell them to the world

ABOUT ME

I am currently an editor and founder of an international family magazine online, www.internationalfamilymag.com. Our tagline is "We are the stories We Share". One of my favorite storytellers, Brooke Allen, told me about couchsurfing.com. This is a rich tradition in my husband John and my life, we love to know any and all people from around the world and welcome them as we feel welcomed. What a perfect idea to join. I hope to hear stories both on the site, and around town when people come to visit. I also teach middle school and look forward to couch surfing with my sons Jackson and Brody during our summer vacation and when hardworking Papa can join us.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe absolutely in the philosophy of chaos and dignity. If these two things are honored and surrendered to, than life will be filled with magic and discovery and love.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I would like to participate by collecting these wonderful stories of adventure and publishing them when appropriate.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

One memory of couchsurfing began in Albany, New York USA and brought me to a wonderful apartment in Barcelona, Spain near the Arco de Triumpho. A friend wrote down a number of a friend in Spain one night saying if I went to that city to look him up. I ended up rooming with him and my best friend that I came with looking for work as ESL teachers during my first Masters. It was lovely. I camped at Costa Brava and danced at night to the lights of Mt. Tibidabo. Wonderful experience of a phone number, a couch, and a spare room.

Interests

Reading, Writing, Chatting. I also love bike riding at sunrise to Barbara's Streisand's "Tell Him". I like to try new things and meet new people. I go to New Orlean's Jazz Fest every year and think that music should be sometimes the only language we speak. My children are my greatest fascination. I love to watch them grow and explore and be amazed at life and themselves.

• writing
• books
• literature
• singing
• folklore
• education
• clubbing
• reading
• investing
• magic
• music
• jazz
• cycling
• surfing
• soccer
• teaching
• law

Music, Movies, and Books

The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I love you like a Tomato, Wings of Desire, Moonstruck, Cinema Paradiso, Neil Diamond and a cover band, Super Diamond, Martin Sexton, Sia, Orff's Carmina Burana, Barbara Streisand, IL Divo, Jitterbug Perfume, Raulo Malo, Josh Groban, Jack Johnson, Tuesdays with Morrie, Spamalot, and Yahtzee ( a dice game).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One evening I was sitting at a small table with a college friend in the town of Lake Disenzano, Italy. We seemed in the early 90s to be quite American to be women out at night so late. And then we heard a murmurous melody, a le a le a le a le, a le a le.....repeat repeat. The singing became louder and the sounds of crowds and feet and then all of sudden we were swept onto the shoulders of a winning soccer team that had won the championships. They wrapped flags around our shoulders and carried us around town in their celebration. It is one of the grandest memories of my life. It happened by chance that I was in the right village in Italy to have such an occasion.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a teacher by second profession and an editor and writer. I want to remain teachable always. I love to help children as I remember so profoundly those who helped me. I believe children just need one person to find them valuable and magical and if we can, we should pay attention, give them audience. I am fascinated with the global exchange of education theory because as I begin to teach in the US, I am frightened by our curriculum, it seems terribly out of date. I say this meaning, we teach children endless pieces of literature which is lovely for book clubs or a Sunday of leisure. But I want my students to reason reading and writing so they can read legal documents and not find themselves incarcerated needlessly, to read medical language so they can advocate for themselves as patients or family of a patient, so that they can rent things, invest in things and argue things intelligently and persuasively.

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