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  • Last login about 6 years ago

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Overview

  • 1 reference
  • Fluent in English; learning Spanish
  • 43, Female
  • Member since 2007
  • Work at a software company
  • Bachelors in psychology
  • From Cedar City, Utah
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

As a host, I'm friendly and easygoing.

As a guest, I'm considerate and independent, so no worries about entertaining me if you're busy. If you have the time, though, I'll likely be up for going out together and getting a look at what your town has to offer that's not tagged in the guidebooks. When I stay in someone's home, I apply the leave-no-trace rule of campgrounds - unless I can leave it a little *better* by helping with simple household tasks like dishes, vacuuming, etc!

As a person in general, I'm curious and open-minded.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To see some new places and meet some new people :).

I joined CS a long time back when I had a trip to France coming up - I found a few people to stay with in Paris and was very excited. The bad news is I came down with strep throat and had to quarantine myself in paid accommodations for the duration. The good news is I have a record of doing my best to avoid sickening hosts :). I haven't really signed in since then, but now I'm looking to get involved. I love the idea of meeting new people through this site and getting a local view of the world. And of welcoming people to my own neighborhood.

I'm big on talking to strangers and some of my favorite moments of otherwise-solo trips have happened that way. A dinner with the owner of a little restaurant in Truth or Consequences, NM, and his friends & family. An evening shared with another traveler in Lisbon who was also eating alone - getting up my nerve to go over to her table and ask if she'd like to eat together was very worth it.

Another experience that sticks out in a similar way is visiting someone close to me during their Peace Corps service in Guatemala. The way his co-workers welcomed me was wonderful. The country as a whole was beautiful and interesting, but while staying in that village I had the chance to spend a little time with the people who live there in a way I don't usually get to when traveling. Being welcomed into others' homes, offices, etc. gave me a taste of what the possibilities of this site are. The rest of that trip (Semuc Champey, Tikal, volcanoes, Atitlan) was wonderful, but being invited to a birthday dinner, a religious celebration, and more was really special.

I'd love to experience more of that - and hopefully offer a little back to others in return.

Interests

  • dancing
  • dining
  • movies
  • traveling
  • music
  • hiking
  • camping
  • volunteering
  • current events
  • ikebana

Music, Movies, and Books

Written word: I generally spend more time with magazines like the New Yorker and online journalism, but books that made me really laugh and/or tear up & have stuck with me are a bunch by Steinbeck, White Teeth, A Fan's Notes, Moving Violations, and The Liar's Club. I don't seek poetry out as often as I should, but I love Frank Bidart's "The Yoke" and one particular line from Gertrude Stein's "Lifting Belly" (I forgive you everything and there is nothing to forgive).

Movies: Those I like enough to own physical copies of (that used to be a thing!) include Raising Arizona, Mulholland Drive (the "Llorando" scene gets me every time), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Shag, some Richard Pryor stand-up, You Can Count on Me, Y Tu Mama Tambien, and The Jerk. I don't watch so many movies at home, though - I most enjoy them in the theater. Very lucky to have the historic Carolina Theater nearby - they screen a lot of excellent films. Downtown Durham is also host to the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival - if you're in town in early April, I really recommend going to see a few things.

Music: All sorts of things, but artists & bands I've seen live recently include Julien Baker, Anderson .Paak, Garth Brooks, and Daughter. Planning to see Jawbreaker & Hot Water Music soon and high school-era me is VERY excited. I'm usually up for seeing just about anything, and there are several good venues not too far from my place.

Radio: National Public Radio for the information & general level-headedness; college stations for finding new music; pop for singing in the car, and country for crying in the car. I kid. But not really :).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A year or so ago Frontier Airlines had what definitely felt like an "amazing" sale and I took full advantage. I pounced on it and wound up with $30 round-trip tickets to 4 cities. It was fantastic. The trips were mostly a day or less long because of the fare rules, but it was an excellent way to get just a taste of some places I'd never been. Safe to say it would not have otherwise occurred to me to fly to Minneapolis for 18 hours :).

Those trips drove home the joys of traveling to unexpected locations - and of doing it without spending a whole lot of money. Not coincidentally, Couchsurfing seems to offer a lot on both those fronts.

Teach, Learn, Share

A few years ago I happened across ikebana - a Japanese style of flower arrangement - and loved it right away. I make arrangements pretty regularly and it adds a surprising amount to my life - from making me look at my surroundings on a walk differently to doing something that feels a little like meditation. Also, it's just nice to have flowers around :). One totally unexpected plus has been getting "acquainted" with people in other states and countries who enjoy ikebana - I have a flowers-focused Instagram account (@petal_and_line) that's allowed me to connect a bit with others, see a lot of great work, and share my own arrangements. Lots of fun.

I'm only a novice, but if you're interested I can pull out some clippers and kenzans (weighted bases with dozens of pins that make it easy to arrange materials in interesting ways) and you can give it a go.

On a more North Carolina-specific note, I can also help you find excellent biscuits :).

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you'll be traveling to places in the US that I'm familiar with, I'll be happy to give any recommendations that might be helpful. Southern Utah and Northern Colorado are two areas I can definitely offer some tips about.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Monaco, Panama, Portugal, Thailand, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Spain, United States

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