CURRENT MISSION

Summer of 2023: Hoping to explore Ecuador!

Summer of 2022: I traveled for seven weeks around Colombia… first time in South America!

Summer 2016: spent 5 weeks in Fiji -- diving, snorkelling, and getting to know the local people and culture.

(The following is many years old......)
I had hoped to travel to Afghanistan, which has been my dream for the past 30 years. But my trip was cancelled at the last minute due to security concerns. I want to get to know the country through its people, who I've heard are extremely friendly & hospitable. Maybe someday it will be possible…. Instead I went to Syria and spent most of the summer there. A year later the country was in turmoil and soon gave rise to ISIS. I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to see this beautiful country before it’s destruction.

ABOUT ME

An adventurous soul in search of remote corners of the globe that are just waiting to share their hidden secrets.

PHILOSOPHY

Here are some quotes which illustrate my life view:

"The world is a book, and those who don't travel read only a page." ~Saint-Augustin

"La vie, c'est prendre le risqué de la rencontre, du different, de l'étranger." ~P. Maillard

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." ~Florence Whittemore

"Celui qui se perd dans sa passion est moins perdu que celui qui perd sa passion." ~Saint-Augustin

"There is no set path. Just follow your heart."
~Unknown

"A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she's in hot water." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

"He knows not where he's going,
For the ocean will decide -
It's not the destination ...
It's the glory of the ride!" ~Edward Monkton

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Here in Brussels, I'm pretty busy teaching but if time permits I would be happy to show visitors some nice parts of the city. On an occasional basis, I might be able to offer sleeping space for one female guest.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Looking forward to meeting lots of friends from around the world.

Interests

Travel, music, theatre (acting), scuba diving, dogs, nature, cinema, singing, writing, getting to know new people.

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoyed two novels by Khaled Hosseini: "The Kite Runner" & "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and am looking forward to reading his book called "And the Mountains Echoed."

I like movies with Meryl Streep, Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman. I often go to the cinema and enjoy a whole variety of film styles and appreciate foreign films a great deal.

Music preferences: soul, blues, boogie-woogie, folk, bluegrass, pop, jazz, ragtime, classical, French chanson, new age, world music

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Can't say I've done anything really "amazing," but I've had some great experiences nonetheless. Let's see, trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal was definitely cool. But so many of the other countries I've visited are great, too: Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Dagestan, lots of Asia. Had a few solo black & white photo exhibitions of these countries.

I also have enjoyed being on stage in some pretty challenging roles in local theatre here. Guess the truly amazing things are still to come ....

What I Can Share with Hosts

Happy to pitch in and help with household chores.
Very willing to offer hospitality stay in Brussels for anyone who hosts me!

Countries I’ve Visited

Aruba, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Curaçao, Egypt, England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Maldives, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, United States