CURRENT MISSION

To expeience as much as life has to offer and meet interesting people from around the world along the way......

ABOUT ME

Fun, energetic, friendly, social, talkative, well-traveled, outdoorsy, and active. I love meeting new people, learning new things and exploring new places.

PHILOSOPHY

Live life to the fullest! Life’s short and it’s not what you’ve got that’s important, it’s what you do with what you have that really counts.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Had my first official couch surfing experience in Budapest, summer 2009. It was wonderful. And I'm back at it again in Australia and it just keeps getting better!!! :) When I'm not globetrotting and I'm back to the "real" world, I split my time between Gainesville and Oregon, while doing my dissertation research. Regarless of whether I'm available to host or not, I'm always available to meet travelers, share a meal or a drink, show them the sights or just share information of what to do or see while in Oregon or Florida. Drop me a line.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Limited "official" experience in Budapest, Vienna, and now Australia, but I could be considered a professional at the traditional, old-fashioned type of couch surfing, staying with or hosting friends, family, and other travelers that I've met along the way.

Interests

Most anything outdoors, particularly water activities and hiking, architecture, travel, dancing, and lots more

• architecture
• dancing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• running
• drinking
• gardening
• boating
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• kayaking
• camping
• surfing
• scuba diving

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

- I’ve climbed a volcano in Guatemala
- Sailed almost 2000 miles of open ocean from North Carolina to Bermuda and south to the Caribbean
- Spent several months living out of a kayak exploring the Sea of Cortez and the Baja Peninsula
- Been diving on the Mesoamerican barrier reef
- Lived without electricity or running water for several months in the rainforest of Ecuador
- Avoided hippos and elephants while camping and boating in the Okavango Delta in Botswana
- Backpacked solo all over Western Europe, the east coast, and all around Central America
OK, I realize that's more than one..... :)

Teach, Learn, Share

"To teach, learn and share with others my passion for travel, the outdoors and the natural environment" has been the objective on my resume since I first put one together decades ago. I live my life trying to do this, so I completely support this new addition to the couch surfing network.

I'm happy to share my knowledge of conservation and development issues facing both the developed and the developing world, as well as my knowledge of potential strategies for reconciling these goals. As a student of resource management I'm sure I also have enough info crammed in my brain to put just about anyone to sleep....if you're interested, I'm happy to share, just ask!

As far as learning, I've recently taken a much bigger interest in food production, gardening and cooking, and I have tons and tons to learn in these areas (as well as in lots of other areas), so please share!!!!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Saint Lucia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Virgin Islands, U.S., Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, Ecuador, United States