CURRENT MISSION

As Cocteau said in 'Wedding on the Eiffel Tower': Since these mysteries are beyond us, let's pretend we're organizing them. Of course, he said it in French.

ABOUT ME

I DON'T LIVE IN MIAMI!!!! IT'S JUST A MAILING ADDRESS!!! I Moved to Antigua, Guatemala, in November 2009. The CS database won't let me change my address, but I'm working on it.
Otherwise my info is as follows: Lived in a tiny town in western Mass., on the Vt. border, for 34 years. In 2005 became single parent of 2 teenage girls whom I'd raised since they were 1 and 4. Last kid went off to college Sept. 08; sold my house that Halloween, & moved in with an old friend in the nearby flatlands, on the Connecticut. Laid off July 1, '09, decided to retire, took 3-wk midwest road trip July 09, west coast road trip Aug.-Sept. then moved to Guatemala Nov. 4, where I can afford to live on Social Security. I'm playing music w/ my 25-y.o. daughter three nights a week in an upscale restaurant, writing/editing (privately and for La Cuadra, the hip English-language mag here), traveling, meeting fascinating people....2 fun facts: went to Woodstock; saw the Beatles.

PHILOSOPHY

The golden rule says it pretty well. My life's been good so far; I love not having a job, being retired, in Spanish: jubilacion! -- though I can't finish everything I want to in a day -- I'm singing in Antigua cafes with my daughter, making us both some decent money, and feel really blessed. No, REALLY.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Surfed successfully and with tons of fun late summer '09 in the US west, northwest, and midwest. In years past I've traveled in Europe via Servas, which is somewhat more formal than CS, but w/ the same purpose -- spreading understanding and goodwill through travel. I have a bed in my music studio, and can host for a couple of days, though my landlord's kind of grouchy about a lot of comings and goings (my apt. is in his big hacienda). I'd be delighted to meet for coffee or drink or advice or mini-tour or watch a game at the local Red Sox bar....

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Great experiences while on 6-wk. road trip in US west, northwest, midwest. Hung out with Guatemalan, French, American, and Italian CS-ers in Antigua, Guat. I have surfed with and hosted some awesome people in Guatemala.

Interests

Music (I play/write songs w/ guitar & keyboards: punk-folk-political-cowboy-reggae-love songs, w/ a rock 'n' roll undertow is what I prefer ... but with my daughter I'm playing soul/pop/jazz: Norah Jones, Coldplay, Adele, Alicia Keys; we write songs as well), photography, gardening (growing/eating good local food), literature, poetry, travel, language. Cats are good, too.

• cats
• writing
• literature
• poetry
• singing
• photography
• dining
• coffee
• drinking
• gardening
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• guitar

Music, Movies, and Books

The Graduate, Napoleon Dynamite, Dersu Uzala, Everything is Illuminated, Shrek, Serendipity; gravelly-voiced singer/songwriters: Tom Waits, John Prine, Leonard Cohen, Greg Brown, Townes Van Zant, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan; also Coldplay, Adele, Ingrid Michaelson, Moriah Sterling; Ringelevio (A Life Played for Keeps), The Golden Notebook, Cosmicomics, Riddley Walker, La Casa de los Espiritus, The Island of Nose, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, Cloud Atlas

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I spent a month in Afghanistan in 1972-73; changed my life. That would be the most amazing thing I've seen or done if I hadn't helped with my biological daughter's birth.

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Canada, El Salvador, France, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Iran, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Panama, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Guatemala, Italy

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