I'm brand new to the idea of couch surfing but decided to give it a try after seeing such positive reviews from some travel blogs I follow. I absolutely love to travel and wish my vacation days allowed for more of it. So much so I'm actually considering taking a leave of absence for a couple months to travel around Europe . So this is step 1.

In addition to enjoying travel I like to cook, take pictures, spend tons of time with friends and family, and being outdoors as much as possible. This year I'm making a solid effort to take up some winter sports like downhill skiing, cross country skiing and snowshoeing so I can learn to love the winter (after 31 years our relationship is still a bit rocky) plus it will keep me active during my typical hibernation months.

I have a small dog named Murphy who I adopted about 5 years ago. He's a Lhasa/Shih Tsu/Boarder Collie mix, and a champion cuddler.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting new people and I want to try hosting to see what the people are like and what I might be able to expect if give it a try while in Europe.

Interests

Well it seems I was a bit premature listing these above but to summarize: travel, photography, cooking, trying new restaurants, being outdoors, spending time with family and friends, working out, and meeting new people.

• dogs
• photography
• cooking
• working out
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• surfing
• skiing
• snowshoeing
• sports

Music, Movies, and Books

I like most types of music but especially enjoy alternative rock. Adele's 25 album coming out has made me very happy.

Some of my favorite movies are Forrest Gump, Cinderella Man, Love Actually, the Harry Potter Series, Little Women, and The Town. I really enjoy comedies as well.

For books I seem to be particularly drawn to memoirs lately- the Jenny Worth books that the series call the midwife is based on are some of my favorites and I've enjoyed the celebrity books as well from Tina Fey, to Amy Poehler and even Rob Lowe.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Right after high school I made an impromptu decision to move to Grand Marais (a tourist town in northern MN) for the summer to waitress in a restaurant my aunt worked at. What started as a way to escape a bad breakup ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. Students come from abroad (mostly eastern europe) and work for the summer and I made friends for life. I've been able to keep in touch with many of them and have made 2 trips to visit them in the last year!

What I Can Share with Hosts

My sparkling personality :-) I generally try to see the best in people and the positive side of things and I just really like to meet new people and have new adventures

Countries I’ve Visited

Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Iceland, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States