CURRENT MISSION

Hike, swim, paddle, meet people, international travel when able.

ABOUT US

Married 43 years, two great sons and wonderful daughters-in-law. Retired.
Gentle, outdoorsy, interested in people and stories from other cultures and lands.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is simple. Be good and kind.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

While in Asia much of 2002-2003 we stayed in numerous homes and guesthouses, though not through couchsurfing at that time. Since 2013, we have hosted many travelers through couchsurfing.

Interests

Rod: Any day outside is a good day. Love long hikes, paddling my kayak, and solitude in the wilderness. My interest in hosting is good intellectual and meaningful discussions, swap stories, learn new perspectives. Swimming is my meditation.

Fran: Kayak, art, outdoors, travel, swap stories, textile arts, cooking.

Music, Movies, and Books

Rod is pretty much a dud regarding music and movies, and just reads non-fiction.

Fran is the creative one, with a degree which includes a music minor, and is an avid reader of fiction. She has dabbled in graphic design and photography, and her current passions are knitting and quilting.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

At ages 48-50, having raised our sons into fine young men, we gave away or sold everything that would not fit into our backpacks and spent two years traveling around the world, embracing that we would become changed people, with no preconceived notions as to our future.

Since then, Rod hiked 11,000 miles, including Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and 4,000 miles from Key West, Florida, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, including paddling the length of Florida, and has spent over 1,000 nights outdoors.

Teach, Learn, Share

Swap stories. Listen to yours. Learn and grow.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Just my stories (and a guest bed). You can peek at hikepaddle.blogspot.com.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Monaco, Nepal, Netherlands, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States