Since people probably only read this section, I do NOT host men. It's not personal, just my current comfort level.

As of 6/17 I'm not hosting people for a little while (unless I've already agreed to host you). I've got a lot of stuff going on at the moment with trips and weddings and some work upheaval and don't really have the time to host at the moment. If you have questions about the Seattle area though I'd be happy to help!

CURRENT MISSION

Caring more about the people in my life than the things on my to-do list. Trying to keep the joy of living in my life after coming back to work from a year long sabbatical. Always looking to move further on the journey towards being my best self.

ABOUT ME

I'm an early to bed, early to rise type of person, unless there is good conversation to be had in a quiet place - then sleep becomes unimportant! I'm fairly independent and I like a fair amount of alone time in order to get through the day. I'm introspective and I like having time to process all the things that I experience! I am often quiet and tend to be shy around new people, but if you want to talk travels (or books or philosophy or gardening) I can go on all day. I do tend to be more reserved but don't mistake that for not caring!

I like beauty - natural, architectural, historical, and of course - personal! People can be amazingly beautiful (and not just physically). I try to take in a lot of beauty while I travel, which usually means seeing museums and churches and famous viewpoints. And couchsurfing! Or meeting people in hostels. Now that I'm back in the PNW (Pacific NorthWest) I try to get out hiking a lot and I'm hoping this summer to enjoy the music scene a bit more.

PHILOSOPHY

Experiences bring more pleasure than material possessions. I'm trying to build memories that will bring me joy for years to come instead of buying toys that I will forget about in a few hours.

If I'm vacillating about whether or not to do something, I ask myself 'will I regret it if I do go?' The answer is rarely 'no' and it really helps motivate me to get out there when I would be inclined to be shy.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I had a few couchsurfing experiences while on a year of traveling the world, all of which were great! I'm back in the greater Seattle area at the moment and willing to host occasionally, though I'm in a bit of an out of the way place at the moment.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

First couchsurfing experience April 2014 in Zagreb Croatia. I ended up going to Chinese class with my host, which was great!

Interests

Learning about different cultures, traveling, music, history, and languages. I like to read, and I spend a lot of time doing it. If it looks like I have five minutes to spare, I will either whip out my kindle or do some geometric pattern drawing (ask me about it).

• books
• beauty
• gardening
• traveling
• socializing
• drawing
• music
• hiking
• kayaking
• scuba diving
• skydiving
• paragliding
• swimming
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies - pretty much anything. I tend to really like action films and sci-fi films that really make you think. Recently a friend has been getting me into classic film as well.

Music - classical, pop, polyphony (chant), and international (Chinese, Japanese, hindi, Spanish). Pretty much a weird mix of a lot of different things.

Books - Sci-fi/Fantasy, religious, classical lit, social psychology

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Canyoning in the Swiss Alps, paragliding over the Lauterbrunnen valley (also Switzerland), hiking the Great Wall of China, sitting in a 'hard seat' on the overnight train between Xi'an and Bei'jing (sleep is not really a possibility), kayaking HaLong Bay, swimming in bioluminescent waters in Thailand, skydiving Paradise, New Zealand, scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef...too many to list!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States