CURRENT MISSION

I am in the process of moving to southern Spain. I have been spending a lot of time there and soon I hope to have an apartment and be able to host fellow CouchSurfers.

I am just finishing up a "sabbatical" and traveling the world alone for more than a year now. I have met many wonderful people and shares lots of good food with them! I get lots of joy and happiness from meeting people and breaking bread together.

ABOUT ME

Eleven years ago, my husband, son, and I quit our jobs, sold our belongings, rented out our house in LA and moved to Munich, Germany. After we finished our contracts and traveled for a whole year visiting all six continents before returning to California.

Next we landed back in Berkeley next to San Francisco for 11 years. The area is vibrant and offers lots of family, friends, and fun. We had a lovely time. But now our son is finishing up at university in Hawaii. And we have decided that it is time to leave the costly Bay Area for a new chapter somewhere else.

My husband Terry and I recently read in The Big Gay Relationship Handbook that after 32 years together, we have the option of taking a one year “sabbatical” from our relationship. We aren’t breaking up. We aren’t separating. But instead we are each going to be working individually on all the stuff about ourselves that will make us a better person overall and a better partner for each other.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is to be enjoyed. I am lucky to have many wonderful friendships. But there is always room for more. I often say that I am my happiest when I have a full house. Life is meant to be shared with others.

IG: @olafmandk. Send a message that you are from CouchSurfing because I keep my account private but happy to connect with fellow CSers but not bitcoin and crypto bots.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I use Couchsurfing to meet great people from all around the world.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Had a great time meeting CSers in Malaga, San Francisco, Istanbul, Bangkok, Ho Chi Min, Cochin, India, Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Singapore, Melbourne, New Zealand, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso, Cartagena, Bogota and Santiago.

We have also hosted some Couchsurfers from time to time here in Berkeley.

Interests

Travel, rock climbing, mt. biking, live music, theater, drag queens, museums, musicals, planes, Lego, eating locally grown food, cooking, reading, Scrabble.

• theater
• dining
• cooking
• electronics
• reading
• traveling
• music
• live music
• cycling
• rock climbing
• tourism
• queer
• gays

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite book: Confederacy of Dunces
Music: Classical, jazz, musicals, gospel
Movies: I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy. I also like anything that gets me crying. I cried THREE times during Toy Story 3. I'm a sap. Can you really watch Pretty Woman too many times?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Arriving at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro just as the sun was rising. Tears still fill my eyes thinking about it.

Teach, Learn, Share

FREQUENT FLYER POINTS: I am a crazy collector of frequent flyer points. I once got over 2 million miles by buying Nutrigrain cereal bars. I love talking to travelers about maximizing their miles.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to cook. Let's make a meal together!

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Qatar, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Malawi, Spain, United States

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