I am a teacher, mom, poet, novelist and work-in-progress. I've spent my life thinking about things, having long conversations, laughing a lot, and bursting into song. (I miss bursting into song. I need to get back to that.) I love to build communities, and I've worked with teens for a lot of years building community through writing and live-action roleplay (where we do not frequently burst into song, but should.)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

This is a season of my life when I'm eager to begin traveling again--to visit family, to write, teach, and speak, and to do research for novels. Travel is more about people than monuments for me, but it's also about place, culture, language, and how my world enlarges when I leave my usual space and go somewhere else. When my husband and I traveled in college, we were members of SERVAS, which is sort of the same idea as Couchsurfing. More than the Eiffel Tower, we loved the time we spent with people in their homes, listening and exchanging ideas.

Interests

• arts
• writing
• singing
• performing arts
• zumba
• politics
• movies
• music
• art history
• teaching
• friends
• spirituality
• theatre
• creativity
• family
• community
• creative writing
• personal growth
• playing violin
• writing poetry
• musuems

Music, Movies, and Books

Doctor Who, Lie to Me, Bones, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Mary Oliver, Brene Brown, Pentatonics, David Garrett, Barbara Kingsolver, Janet Lee Carey, Madeleine L'Engle, The Irish Experience, To Kill a Mockingbird, Brooklyn (movie), Hidden Figures, The Help, Selma, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Whistling Past the Graveyard, The West Wing

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Give birth to an amazing human being. Only I've done it four times.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share with you about writing and publishing, I enjoy working with and encouraging kids, teens, and adults in their creativity, we could read poetry together--yours or your favorite poets, I can teach a little French. I'd love to learn about your perspectives and experiences, as well as your creative gifts.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can help with cooking and I'm even better at doing dishes. I've been told I'm a good listener. I'm good at tidying up, too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland