I grew up in Chicago in a family of 6 children, and became an au-pair in Switzerland after high school. Living there instilled the travel bug, which I continue to try to overcome, but to no success! :-) I have 2 grown children, adopted from Cambodia, one of whom is currently living temporarily with me to save some money. I love to travel, and would rather go for 6 weeks on a tight budget than one week and stay in expensive lodging. Frequently I camp, if the weather permits it. I love foreign films, hiking, paddling, new places, reading, and meeting new people. I do not smoke. I am pretty quiet and clean.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like to meet new people and do not have a big budget for as much travel as I would like. I am an environmentalist, and, living in New Mexico, I put effort into conserving resources, especially water.

Interests

• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• camping
• snowshoeing
• sewing
• new places
• paddling
• foreign films

Music, Movies, and Books

Total fan of music of the 70s (Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, CSNY), but also love blue grass ( New Grass Revival, Alison Krauss) and additonally Acoustic Alchemy, Tracy Chapman, John Mayal, etc. It is hard to say what my favorite film is: I really enjoy Wes Anderson films and European movies. I love Dev Patel ("Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "Lion," because my children are adopted). My favorite book is probably "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese. Once I find an author I like, I read as many of their books as I can find.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Rebuilt a VW engine on my kitchen table.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach how to grow marigolds, I would like to learn how to organize my sewing room, and I can share my coffee.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, coffee, a meal,

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Fiji, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Germany