Happy, life-loving Taiwanese-American person of this planet, who believes in kindness, gratitude, environmentalism, exploration, real food, health, fitness, and spiritual love. Happily married to a life-loving, must-have-been-a Labrador-Retriever-dog-in-a-former-life, surfer philanthropist, legend-of-a-man for almost 15 years. We are a multi-ethnic (Asian and Caucasian), multi-cultural family--having hosted au pairs (i.e., nannies) from Estonia, Poland, and Mexico. Three kind, happy, and active children aged 7, 9, and 12 and one fuzzy Goldendoodle dog keep the household full of life and free of fur.

Although I have been practicing law for over 15 years, my career does not define me. I am blessed to maintain a 3-day work week, during which time I fight to recover thousands of dollars stolen from clients' elderly parents or fight to recover an aging woman's competency.

We moved out of the rat race of the San Francisco Bay area over 9 years ago to live in this relatively, slow-paced town of Wilmington, NC, where people still sit in rocking chairs chatting about life and getting to know their neighbors. When I'm not advocating for my clients, I'm enjoying the great outdoor experiences North Carolina has to offer--such as swimming and surfing in the uncrowded warm ocean waters at Wrightsville Beach or rock jumping and sliding in the Smoky Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love to travel and share the things that Wilmington NC has to offer. Because of my husband's surf school business and charity, we spend so much of our summer at the beach and at home (ready for scheduled visitors). Many guests have come to stay with us and do volunteer work with the surf charity that our 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 5-shower, 3,400 square foot house has become a bed and breakfast already. In October 2015, my husband and I are planning a trip to the Cinque Terre, Italy, so I wanted to explore this option.

Interests

Real food; swimming in the ocean; working to live not living to work; life health and fitness; backpacking; enjoying the outdoors; traveling

• dogs
• culture
• dining
• cooking
• breakfast
• fast food
• fitness
• running
• traveling
• eating out
• volunteer work
• outdoor activities
• backpacking
• surfing
• swimming
• business
• languages
• law
• volunteering
• au-pair
• beaches
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music on my iPhone now includes One Direction, Counting Crows, Mat Kearney, U2, Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson.

Movies I've watched recently and/or really liked - The Notebook, Foxcatcher, Harry Potter, Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, and Bound By Sea (about our family and available on iTunes).

Books - Brave New World, To Kill a Mockingbird . . .

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Volunteer trips to Kerala, India teaching orphan girls how to surf and to forget their troubled pasts. My husband's surf charity, Indo Jax Surf Charities, has done this Surf Safari for 6 years now.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - I can share some of my knowledge of American Law (licensed in North Carolina and California) and culture. Our family-run business, Indo Jax Surf School , offers 1-week camps and private lessons for those interested in learning how to surf in the warm, friendly waves at Wrightsville Beach, NC.
Learn - I am conversational in Mandarin Chinese, but always willing to learn and practice more. I love to learn different languages.
Share - Snack food and some breakfast foods can be made available for self-serve; and Friday dinners together. Advice on where to go and what to do. Nearby Abby Foy Nature Preserve is great for trail runs (with or without dog).

What I Can Share with Hosts

Cooking, cleaning, American Law and culture

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Samoa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States