CURRENT MISSION

To make friends worldwide through humor, intelligent conversation and massage.

ABOUT ME

I enlisted in the army at 17 and rose from a private up to lieutenant colonel before retiring at the age of 44. Since then I have been a substitute teacher and massage therapist (I probably broke the mold and became the first West Point graduate to enter the massage field). I primarily work with severely disabled clients. Around the community, I do about 1,500 hours of volunteering per year at everywhere from ourhospital for veterans, community playhouse, dinner theater, church, zoo, and serving meals to the homeless and working poor.

PHILOSOPHY

Brighten someone's day whenever you can. When you think you have it rough, look around and appreciate just how good you have it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been with CS since 2008, I lived overseas in Germany for nearly 10 years during my military service. I enjoy meeting new people and am attempting to maintain my German and French.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Prior to CS, I visited traveling friends in Florida, California, and Brazil. CS helped me get some traveling information about Rio prior to my trip there in 2009, and since joining I've introduced several of my friends to CS. I enjoy meeting world travels and have stayed with 2 CS families, most recently in Custer, SD.

Interests

Scuba diving, snorkeling, traveling, writing poetry, photography, hiking, opera, theater, symphonies, ballets, auto racing, football, hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, sightseeing

• writing
• poetry
• theater
• photography
• traveling
• auto racing
• opera
• hiking
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• baseball
• basketball
• soccer
• hockey
• tennis
• teaching
• volunteering
• sightseeing

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've visited the 7 Modern Wonders of the World and did a cage adventure with great whites off of Cape Town. I was on the East-West German border when the wall/border opened in 1989. As COVID hit, I was coming back from Australia. My most recent travels were to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in August 2022. In October 2022 I am heading to Iceland. Next year I plan to get back into scuba diving and snorkeling. Usually I go out to Mount Rushmore in the summer and Montana in the winter.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I don't do last minute hosting, no smokers, no pets, I prefer one person and one night stays. Please don't send requests and lower my response rate. I still live in the dinosaur age -- only a flip phone, can't send texts, no cable, no internet at home (must go to the public library to access emails). Lastly, please don't do like my 3-4 July 2017 couchsurfing guest who changed her request to two people, then two nights, then one night, then three people, then cancel, then new dates.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States

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