CURRENT MISSION

To see a city, town or natural place through the eyes of people who love it so much, that they have made it their home. To begin to travel again.

ABOUT ME

I'm a meditator, traveler, and advocate for human services and social justice. I love people and have thoroughly enjoyed every couch surfing experience I've had.

I'm an irreverently spiritual person. I'm a Fully Professed Sister with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. I also hang out with the Unitarians and the Buddhists.

PHILOSOPHY
90% of life is just Showing Up - But that seems to have been more challenging for me as I get older. I travel less often now, and usually with another purpose such as a gathering or event of one of my communities.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
I love to engage with new people and see their city from their perspective. I didn't quite understand this until I hosted some friends from out of town. Suddenly, I was so geeked out over my own city! I want to share that expeirence from all angles.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
I once took a two-month trip across the country (see Seattle to Indianapolis). I took the long way down the West Coast and across the border states. I only needed to stay in hotels or Hostels for 5 of those 42 nights. Each night was filled with joy, laughter, and new experiences. I even came up with an excellent story for stage storytelling out of it. (Think: a Northwwestern Queer with Pink hair, alone in rural Texas on a dark night, looking for a campsite)

Besides that trip, most of my traveling is connected to an event, such as a conference or retreat. I extend my stay because I may not have the chance to come this way again.

Interests

Meditation, Hiking, camping, biking, human rights, kids, canoeing, dance clubs, gay clubs, tea shops, vegan restaurants, parks, walking in the sunshine, Seeing Natural Wonders and Freaky attractions, experiencing art - visual, performance, and otherwise. Duck Tours, road trips, big conferences....and Recovery.

• arts
• theater
• performing arts
• make up
• dancing
• human rights
• vegan
• meditation
• walking
• partying
• clubbing
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• canoeing
• camping
• surfing
• road trips
• tours
• parks
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

My downtime is spent with sci-fi, fantasy, and nature documentaries. In Real Life, I have plenty of shock, awe, horror, and grief to keep me engaged. I want something where you know the heroes will make it to the end.

However, during my self-care time, I listen to challenging speakers on meditation and/or recovery.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Solo, 2-month road trip across the US., 2-week trail crew in the Cascade Mountains, 10-day silent meditation retreat; solo backpacking trip in the Olympic mountains, Dozens (100+?) of Conferences - Sci-Fi, Unitarian, SPI, Buddhist, US Social Forum, Amnesty International,

Among these, watching the Sunrise at Mount Baker was a fantastic experience. I was not the first or last one out of my tent. I kept hearing these Gasps from my fellows. I got out, made the same gasp, and then watched as the others went through the same experience.

On the solo hike in the Olympic Mountains, there was a herd of Roosevelt Moose that hung out close to me at sunset. My profile picture was taken just after that experience.

The beautiful red landscape blew me away during sunset in Arizona,

I was in awe of the tide pools in San Diego and on the coast of Washington State.

I saw the shadow snake climb the pyramid at sunset at Chichenitza, MX.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a learner and a teacher

I spend my job teaching others, but on topics like HIV, addiction, mental health disorders, and the Affordable Care Act in Indiana. I love my job and I'm good at making it enjoyable (so they tell me), but those aren't usually topics for fun & travel.

I could show you how to put on clown makeup like a sister
I could practice Spanish with you.
and I remember how to do the Macarena.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm an Excellent meditation leader. I come from a broadcasting family (Small town, community radio), so the theater of voice combined with my meditation skills makes for a peaceful 20 minutes.

I can tell you that story I told for Storyzilla in Bloomington, Indiana- about that night when I, as a pink-haired single female traveler, arrived at a dark campground in the middle of rural Texas...

I will be fascinated and absorbed by any stories you want to tell about your city, your travels, and/or what feeds your heart/mind/soul.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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