"When life comes knocking at your door. Open it".

I am SO grateful 💙💙 for the CS 🛋️🛋️ opportunities that I have had.

Meeting interesting and like minded travellers. 🌍🌍 It's a great community that I am proud to be part of.

**I live on the ESSEX WAY. Perfect for surfers walking this county footpath from Epping to Harwich. If you are more than one we may be able to accommodate you**

I was hosted for the first time by Salem in Saudi Arabia. I had visited the country previously but It was an amazing first experience of Couch Surfing. IT WAS MY 103 COUNTRY! 🇸🇦!

🌎🌍🌏 Now I am up to COUNTRY 111. 🌍🌎🌏

I would describe myself as a dreamer, independent, open minded, compassionate, adventurous. For me travel is enriched by MEETING PEOPLE who live in the country I travel to. (Although as friends, being happily married).🍻🤗

I eat mainly VEGETARIAN FOOD.

This is a personal choice. My husband eats everything so I am not judgemental or wanting to be judged. 💙

I have been lucky to have been travelling for over 3 decades. In some ways I am very organised and disciplined, in others I like to see what opportunities arise and JUST SAY YES! Go with the flow, don't worry.

I think I am a good communicator and often prefer to listen. But I am confident too.

December 2023 I returned from my first trip to Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦🇸🇦🇸🇦 with a friend. We organised it ourselves and one night I was invited to join a group of ladies at a Wedding Party by one of the husbands. My male friend went with him and I walked alone into the female area. The encounter that followed with these ladies was precious beyond words but required COURAGE TO WALK IN.

It's these kind of experiences I am interested in. Meeting and connecting with people. Finding similarities and respecting differences.

I LOVE BEING OUT IN NATURE. 🌲🌲🌊🌊🏜️🏜️ It fills me with wonder, peace and appreciation. Oceans, hills, deserts, forests.

I have a languages book 📘📘📘 that travels with me that has beautiful entries from friends I have made. Many pieces in different scripts.

I love photography, 📷📷 even if I just have my phone to use.

MY COUCH SURFING LIFE 🛋️🛋️😊🌍🌎🌏

2024

🇸🇦 Jan 2024-Saudi Arabia - Day with Saif 🇸🇾exploring Al Ahsa, Eastern Province. Such kindness!
🇸🇦 Jan 2024-Saudi Arabia - Hosted by Salem, Dammam, Eastern Province..Such hospitality with a beautiful smile. 🐫🐫🐴🐴🌊🌊 Camels and Arabian Horses.
🇸🇦 Jan 2024-Saudi Arabia - Mini Couch Surfing Meet ups with Mohammed 🇸🇦, Ahmed 🇸🇩 and Mateus 🇱🇻
🇸🇦 Jan 2024-Saudi Arabia - Hosted by Tomasz 🇵🇱. Dammam, Eastern Province
🇬🇧 Jan 2024- England - Cream Tea with Shuvo 🇧🇩 Delightful afternoon. Enjoyed learning about Bangladesh.
🇵🇪 Feb 2024 - Lima, Peru - Hosted by Claudio, Isabelle and Arya - Magical Family Dinner 💙 Never to be forgotten. Best day at the Country Club 🌊🌊🥂🥂
🇵🇪 Feb 2024 - Arequipa, Peru - Fun CS drinks and dinner with Eric, the legend Host. ☕☕
🇵🇪 Feb 2024 - Arequipa, Peru - Hosted by Alberto, possibly the youngest person to join CS. - Greeted with wisdom, great conversation and fun times. 🎲🎲🍻🍻
🇵🇪 Feb 2024 - The Sacred Valley -Peru ⛰️⛰️ ⛰️💙💙- Hosted by Joel. Surrounded by spirituality, gratitude and beautiful music. Thank you Brother for your understanding, wisdom and loving hugs. 🤗🤗
🇨🇱 March 2024 - Viña del Mar 🌊🌊 - Chile - Hosted by Geraldine, inspirational and first female host with biggest 💙 and cutest cats 🐈 🐈🐾 in in Valparaiso Great conversation, exploring graffiti art, wine 🍷🍷🍷 and games! 🎲🎲
🇬🇧 March 2024 - England-CS Event - Walking in the Essex countryside 🌳🌳with Shuvo 🇧🇩. Sloe Blossom , Village church ⛪ and stop at Traditional Pub.
🇰🇼 April 2024 - CS Meet Up - Kuwait City- Having supper, conversation and listening to great music with Abdallah (Host) 🇪🇬, (Aladdin), Ethan 🇨🇦🇺🇲, Thierry 🚐🇧🇪, Titoo 🐕 🇧🇪 and Wagdy 🇪🇬.
🇰🇼 April 2024 - Kuwait City, Hosted by Gege, a truly beautiful lady, 📘📘👩‍🏫🇪🇬 inside and out and her sweet cats 🐈🐈. We shared great conversations and this lady I will never forget. 💙
🇰🇼 April 2024 - Kuwait City -CS meet up with Eva 🇫🇷🇸🇾 (and Gege). Great conversation and photography 📷📷
🇰🇼 April 2024 - Kuwait City - CS meet up with Alla 🇪🇬 (and Abdallah) - 🌴🌊📸 Great fun!
🇰🇼 April 2024 - Kuwait City - Delicious Syrian Lunch with Hamsa and Omar 🇸🇾. Thank you 💙
🇶🇦 April 2024 - Doha, Qatar - Exploring Doha with Hamdy 🇪🇬. Islamic Art Museum, Souk Waqif and more! Great conversations, food and fun!
🇶🇦 April 2024 - Doha, Qatar - Hosted at Ambassador Check's 🇨🇫 beautiful villa with Dora 💙🇬🇷 and Olga 🇷🇺.
🇶🇦 April 2024 - Al Khor/Doha, Qatar - Hosted by Funny Anwar 😊 - Beautiful Pakistani 🇵🇰 food, exploring Mangrove, watching sunset 🌇 over Corniche, Katara and Pearl Island.
🇧🇭 April 2024 - Amwaj Islands, Bahrain - Hosted by the legend Joe G 🇺🇲 Best time..Boat trip, exploring forts, drinking karak tea and mocktails 🍹.
🇬🇧 April 2024 - CS Hangout - Blake's 'bluebell' Wood - Exploring beautiful ancient woodland 🌳🌳 covered with a carpet of Bluebells with Shuvo 🇧🇩.
🇬🇧 May 2024 - Hosted Vadim 🇺🇦 for dinner. Great conversations about Mountaineering 🏔️ Cycling 🚴‍♂️ and living around the world. 🌍
🇬🇧 May 2024 - Hosted Shuvo who prepared Karak Tea ☕ and a delicious Bangladeshi 🇧🇩 supper. Wonderful!
🇬🇧 May 2024 - Hosted Andy and Jo during their epic hike around the whole of the South West Coastal path. 🌊🌊 Wild Camping Aficionados. 🏕️🏕️🏕️. Inspirational and Amazing Characters.
🇬🇧 May 2024 - Hosted Ingeborg 🇩🇪 and Linda 🇺🇸 in Cornwall. 17th century church ⛪, South West Coastal path 🌊, Clotted Cream Tea ☕ and Real Ales 🍻. Sharing wisdom, laughter and a huge appreciation of the countryside. 🌳💙 🌳
🇬🇧 May 2024 - Hosted Luz and Alex 🇮🇪. Lovely and kind, who stayed in our little cottage and cared for our little Bibby Kitty. 🐈🐈
🇮🇸 June 2024 - Reykjavik, Iceland- Great time with Milica. Delicious hot chocolate and fascinating conversation 🤩🤩 about hitchhiking and travel 🌎🌎. Hope to see you again soon!
🇬🇧 June 2024 - Hosted by Dominico 🇮🇹. Musical magic 🎶 at the local pub folk night and interesting discussions! Thanks for your great energy my friend!
🇲🇰 July 2024 - Meeting Laure 🇫🇷 in Ohrid, Macedonia. Deep conversations, Salsa Dancing and sailing across the beautiful Lake.
🇲🇰 July 2024 - Hangout with Ambassador Bebito 🇧🇷, so much fun to spend time with someone who has embraced everything amazing about Couch Surfing. Amazing!
🇲🇰 July 2024 - Meeting Elena 🇲🇰, beautiful smile and soul. Agatha Christie and deeper conversations. Unforgettable.
🇬🇧 August 2024 - Couch Surfing Meet Up - Chelmsford with Chris 🇷🇴, Kazi 🇧🇩, Nusrat 🇧🇩 and Yilam 🇭🇰 - Making friends and sharing interesting anecdotes
🇸🇪 August 2024 - Falköping, Sweden - Hosted by Elly 💙🇳🇱. Vibrant, wise, generous and so much fun. Beautiful countryside 🌳🚜🌾 and treasure hunting in the Loppis sales. I felt blessed.
🇸🇪 September 2024 - Höganäs, Sweden - Hosted by Ingrid and Jörn. Trailblazers, Couchsurfers before the community was created. Kind, generous and fun! We explored so much 🌊🦀🐟. Unforgettable. 💙
🇸🇪 September 2024 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Hosted by Cornelia and Kåre A.K.A Aquaman. Fun, generous and very funny. 🌊🚢🦀🌲🌲
🇸🇪 September 2024 - Billdals, Gothenburg, Sweden - Hosted by Zivile 🇱🇹. Wise, smiley, fun and so generous. Hunting for Mushrooms in the woods. Wonderful 💙🍄🇸🇪🌲🌳
🇳🇴 September 2024 - Sætre, Norway. Hosted by Silah 🇪🇪 🍄 Strong, independent and kind. Unforgettable view over Norwegian fjord and archipelago. 😍🌲💙
🇬🇧 September 2024 - Hosted wonderful Abhinav 🇮🇳 and Cieran 🇬🇧. Great evening with Toby Carvery, Traditional Pub and Cream Tea.
🇬🇧 October 2024 - Hosted Max 🇦🇺 who has cycled from Istanbul to England. Fish and chips. 🐟🍟Pint down our local. 🍻Great chat. A pleasure.
🇪🇬 October 2024 - Alexandria, Egypt - Meet up with wonderful 💜 Yasmine 🇪🇬 Great travel 🌍and book conversation 📘. Delicious food and hot chocolate. ☕
🇪🇬 October 2024 - Alexandria, Egypt - Hosted by Hamdy, Huda and Hasna 🇪🇬. This special family will remain always in my heart. 💙💙 Kindness, laughter, hospitality. Unforgettable.
🇬🇧 November 2024 - Colchester, England Meeting Maryam 🇮🇷🚴 . Wonderful, brave 💜💜and inspiring person. Great, memorable conversations. ☕☕ A new friend.
🇬🇧 November 2024 - Led Monthly CS Event - Countryside Walk and Traditional Pub with Andrew 🇱🇨, Siva 🇮🇳 and Yilam 🇭🇰. Great fun group.
🇬🇧 December 2024 - Caxton, Cambridgeshire. Hosted by Richard and Richard 🇬🇧. Great conversations, walks in beautiful countryside and memorable real ale experiences. More than I hoped for.
🇬🇧 December 2024 - Coventry, West Midlands by gentleman Andrew 🇬🇧 the King 👑 of Boardgames. Great host and such fun with Cris 🇷🇴 and Dimi 🇺🇦! Loved 💙 it!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet inspirational people, to learn from them and spend time with them. 😊

To push my limits by saying yes! Even if I go outside of my comfort zone.💯

To meet creative people, I love to write and listen to world music (despite not playing an instrument).😊🥰🎻

I am LEADING MULTIPLE COUCH SURFING EVENTS IN MY AREA 🇬🇧🇬🇧 to give back to this wonderful community... countryside walks, folk nights, watching Morris Dancing.
Also in the past I have hosted international friends before CS, including someone from Madagascar. 🇲🇬🇲🇬

Interests

Travel 🌎
Meeting people from different cultures
Planning travel 🌎
Writing (Book 1 is in progress, Book 2 is in progress in my head 😂).
Travel as much as possible on a budget 😍
Reading📗
Travel vlogs and podcasts 🌎
World cuisine 🥑🧀🍍
World music 🎷🎻🎼

• writing
• poetry
• reading
• traveling
• folk music
• world music
• hiking
• art
• nature
• people
• theatre
• conversation
• kindness
• museums
• galleries
• listening
• gratitude
• giving back
• inspirational people
• travel vlogs
• planning a trip
• oceans and seas
• stars and the moon
• walking in magical places
• our beautiful planet

Music, Movies, and Books

I like world, classical and Indie music .

Movies: Godfather 1 and 2, Gladiator, Elf
Shawshank redemption...has one of my favourite quotes
"You've got to get busy living, or get busy dying".

I have read a lot of classical literature.
I also adore travel writing.
I ALSO ADORE BOOKS THAT GIVE YOU A NEW PERSPECTIVE!!
Can I RECOMMEND the book War Doctor by Doctor David Nott...After reading this my life changed forever.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Can I choose 2 😂

I helped raise enough money for 6 SURGEONS TO BE TRAINED IN TRAUMA MEDICINE. They then can train others to help deal with the awful injuries suffered by civilians in War Zones. (Charity: David Nott Foundation).

I went to MEDINA , SAUDI ARABIA IN DEC 2023 with my dear friend and spent time visiting many mosques on MY BIRTHDAY!🇸🇦🇸🇦

Teach, Learn, Share

I can help you with travel tips and advice. 🌎

I can help you with English, as an ex teacher and being TEFLA qualified.👩‍🏫

I can learn from you, everyone has something to share. I can listen carefully. 😍

I can share some of my favourite stories from my travels. 🌎

What I Can Share with Hosts

I AM VERY ENCOURAGING, if you need that final push to act, I am the person who can help.

My mantra is IF NOT NOW, WHEN? To help people realise that action is needed, life is precious, short and sometimes we need to live it for those who can't.

I love to laugh, I am humorous apparently!

I am a considerate guest, who is willing to help.

I am open minded and can share many stories from my travels.

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Korea, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Wales, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Macedonia