CURRENT MISSION

I am a free agent searching for that crack the web of reality!

ABOUT ME

I'm originally from Waco, Texas. Yep, sorry, but true. Left there as soon as I turned 18 and wandered around Texas, got a degree and got married and had two incredible children. After the marriage broke up I moved to Vermont and joined a monastery called "The Golden Rule" and set out on my spiritual path. That path lead me to Crestone, Colorado, a fascinating town then to Taos, New Mexico, my favorite place until...I had a chance to move to Maui. So in April of 2000 I went for a three months and wound up stayed for 9 years, 5 of which I spent running an animal sanctuary!
Eventually the call of home overrode the magic of Maui, so in 2010 I packed up and returned to Austin and started over again from scratch. I moved to Billings, Montana, when my Mom died in 2012 to settle family matters and spent a year in Red Lodge, Montana, one of my favorite little towns, before moving to Lincoln City, Oregon in 2014 with my daughter and son-in-law. Our happy coastal home sits on a hill with a lovely view of the ocean but out of the tsunami zone!

PHILOSOPHY

I'm a big believer in jumping off cliffs and taking risks in life. I have always found myself the most miserable when I try to conform and be someone I am not. I don't mind work, I love to be challenged, but I prefer to keep the tasks varied and the monotony at a minimum.
I enjoy spreading the word about our true potential and watching people bloom like flowers. I have lots of stories to share and love to listen to yours!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have hosted many couchsurfers but rarely couchsurfed myself, I'm quite the homebody. But I plan to take a long road trip this summer and am excited to meet other couchsurfers.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Most of the couchsurfers I hosted came to Maui...can you blame them? Although we had to co-exist in cramped conditions, my guests were mainly kind, courteous, thoughtful folk who made the best of the situation and seemed to enjoy learning how locals managed to live frugally in paradise.

Interests

I am interested in the whole big enchilada. I have lots of areas of research, and strive to stay open at all times to the infinite possibilities within every encounter, idea and coincidence. Therefore, I am a bit of a hummingbird by nature, always off to explore the next fascinating flower. For amusement, I make little videos that explore my current interests at the moment at www.youtube.com/users/Lelabear

• cats
• arts
• writing
• film making
• flowers
• movies
• traveling
• magic
• anthropology
• rock hounding

Music, Movies, and Books

I rarely listen to commercial music, preferring independent and relatively unknown artists, especially those who offer fresh interpretations of their cultural heritage, like the slack-key guitarist Makana. I have recently discovered the Canadian group Walk Off The Earth whose whimsical presentations of mainstream songs really tickle my fancy.

I also have an ambiguous relationship with mainstream movies, I tend to avoid the blockbusters and gravitate to independent productions by thoughtful filmmakers like Rick Linklater and Jane Anderson.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hmmm...I suppose my 5 years as the Cat Woman of Maui was pretty amazing, I managed to care for an adoption center with over 100 kitties daily while setting up trap/spay/neuter events for cat colonies run by concerned citizens. A Honolulu station did a story on our operation, you can see my video about it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIiZhwB5OC8

Teach, Learn, Share

I have a lifelong love of learning and delight in discovering new ways to approach old paradigms. My favorite conversations are those that explore the big picture, I quickly tire of mundane chatter about politics or economics.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I live in a large two bedroom/bath house at the top of the hill in a quiet neighborhood on the west side of Highway 101 in Lincoln City, OR, with my daughter and son-in-law who work at a nearby cannabis dispensary.

Although it is a bit crowded, we have a second living room with space for our air mattress and great views of the coastline! Our home is 420 friendly but not child proof and we have a very territorial cat that is just vicious towards other animals (but loves people), so we'd best not allow doggies to visit, although we love them.

We also have a flat space in the yard if anyone is looking for a tent set up and a large partially covered wooden deck that is great for sleeping outside on those few fine clear warm nights. We love to cook healthy meals and take walks around our cool little neighborhood. Although the beach is in sight, the trudge back up the steep hill is beyond exhausting, so it's smart to drive to one of the nearby waysides. There is also a bus stop around the corner on 101 that stops at some of the more popular beaches.

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