CURRENT MISSION

to flip the switch

ABOUT ME

I'm an upbeat person who enjoys traveling and meeting new people. I gravitate toward anything that's creative - fine arts, music, good food, good conversation, etc. I love being outdoors. I laugh easily and am always open to new possibilities.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm enjoying both hosting and being hosted.

Interests

Many and varied! I like to be active - mountaineering, trekking, rock climbing, paragliding, scuba diving, etc. I like to design things ( I designed and built my house!) I love all kinds of music (OK most kinds), I'm particularly fond of impressionist art. I love to read. I love to think. I love good conversation on just about any subject, especially over a good meal.

• arts
• humanities
• design
• dining
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• mountaineering
• scuba diving
• rock climbing
• paragliding

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - Eva Cassidy, James Taylor, Lyle Lovett, Metallica, Vivaldi, Andres Segovia, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis; Books –The Ends of the Earth: From Toga to Turkmenistan, from Iran to Cambodia, Robert D. Kaplan, From Dawn to Decadence, Jacques Barzun, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon, The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams; Movies – don’t know where to begin!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

After traveling overland across Tibet my friend and I arrived at Rombuk monastery, which clings to the edge of a high mountain valley at the base of Mount Everest. At 5000 meters it is the highest monastery on earth. It is occupied by a small group of monks and nuns for only a few months each year due to the harsh weather. The summit of Everest had been obscured by clouds for several weeks, which gave the place a stark surreal quality. Incredibly, on the day we arrived the clouds dissipated, exposing the massive summit of Everest. As the afternoon receded the sun began its descent, first rendering the sky and the mountain hues of pink and blue and then brilliant shades of orange. A group of two monks and a nun, all old and leathered, shuffled through piles of stones in search of anything someone might have discarded. They otherwise paid no attention to the surroundings. The nun wore an ancient pair of triangular glacier goggles that she had obviously found somewhere. One of the monks ceaselessly rotated a small prayer wheel. They clearly belonged. It was a good day.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bahamas, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States of, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British

Countries I’ve Lived In

Albania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, United States

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