CURRENT MISSION

Rekindle my lifelong passion for travel. Meet likeminded friends along the way.

ABOUT ME

Hi!
My name is Lauren and about 6 months ago I decided to leave my job, pack my belongings into a storage facility and travel somewhere I had never been. I decided to give myself a sabbatical. Logistics and the fates gave me a mid-January exit date from my beloved but dreary adopted city of Seattle.
As of this writing, January 27, I can be found at a lovely little mini-villa in the Payangan-Kelusa valley about 20 minutes north of Ubud, waiting for the stars to come out.

Everyday my intention is to be a kind, loving, generous person. I think of generosity in terms of spirit, of time, and of compassion. I love to laugh but my mouth will get me into trouble from time to time. I am an excellent and fully present listener. My friends & family will tell you I am one of the most honest and straight forward people they know. I take great pride in this.

I am a writer thrilled to get back into the daily habit. I believe in reviving the art of the cocktail. I love all dining experiences, even cooking - but my culinary skills are still in progress.

I practice Baptiste yoga, was a runner but blew out my hips in June at a half-marathon (finished, but in tears). Would like to start running again but it seems so ridiculous and down right dangerous here in Asia, the weather, the roads.

I consider myself 'old school' in that I prefer good old fashion board & card games to wii. I am a voracious reader & long winded writer, thus tweeting is of no interest. Currently I have no cell phone activated. I have wide ranging eclectic taste in music but can only take country & rap in small doses. I love live music & am striving to see more shows.

In general I am technoligcally challenged. The last two weeks have been crazy trying to align my new ipad, a new camera, no phone, and a blog site. Currently I am in desperate need for a hair dryer.

What kind of traveller am I?

I am a laid-back traveller who believes the best way to learn a culture is through the food. I will try just about anything.

I like to get lost. It is the best way to get local, fast. Getting lost and off the beaten track leads to the best local discoveries.

I make a terrible tourist. You will not find me at the big attractions, they rarely interest me, unless it is a museum, and even then I may be hard pressed to go.

Recently I was in Singapore for 6 days, the only real tourist experience I had and wanted to have was the Night Safari since it seemed everyone raved about it. It was cool, but since I have an issue with zoos in general I am not sure it was worth my time. I spent the rest of my time tracking down awesome food and yes, the Singapore Sling!

Wherever I find myself I try to become local. I prefer to be based outside a small town at a wonderfully peaceful place. This allows me to walk into town every morning, have a coffee at my local cafe, watch the town go about it's business, attend to my own shopping at the local shops and farmers' market.

This allows me to create a home base and a routine.

When planning this most recent trip I did very little preparation. Due to overpacking, the few guidebooks I had purchased ended up staying on my bedroom floor. That means I arrived on this continent, a place I had never experienced with two hotel reservations (covering only 20% of my intented time for this trip)and a couple of flights booked.

How ill-prepared could I be? I travel with a confidence that all will be OK at the least and that I will figure things out as I go, a real experiencial mode. I will learn as I go and discover what I am supposed to along the way. Yes, some might call that lazy or crazy. I consider the hiccups that are bound to occur part of the learning experience.

By nature I am an thoughtful observer first. So when I make a move I have faith it is a good one.

My family has a saying, "no required events". What this means is that we are all comfortable doing our own thing if that is what feels right in the moment. I use this motto while traveling with others. Sometimes the best days traveling with someone are the days spent doing our own thing and then meeting for dinner to share our experiences.

I love story telling and what better way to experience something than through the eyes of another.

I look forward to hearing your stories!

Lauren

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Currently I am hoping to participate by meeting new friends for coffee, cocktails, lunch, dinner, an occasional outing. Want to meet me? currently I am staying in Bali in a tiny village 30 minutes outside Ubud.
Who wants to meet me at the beach?

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Brand new, no experiences yet. Although two lovely people have reached out for advice. Thank you!

兴趣

• arts
• culture
• writing
• fashion
• dining
• cooking
• cocktails
• coffee
• farmers' market
• yoga
• marathon
• running
• shopping
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• live music
• track and field
• business
• beaches

我游览过的国家

Singapore

我居住过的国家

United States

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