CURRENT MISSION

to explore new and different ways of living and being in the world, by learning forgotten skills, travelling and meeting people from other cultures or from the critical margins of the modern destroyer/consumer culture :)

ABOUT ME

Smiley, shy at times, loves bonding over happy hour drinks and cooking over campfires, fascinated and awed by all of nature, relishes any opportunity for learning, and hoping to remain young at heart forever.

PHILOSOPHY

Tolerance, empathy, open-mindedness, sharing and community.

I think our high-technology, growth-oriented consumer culture is on the wrong track, and I love participating in projects like couchsurfing that are working for unity, cultural exchange, knowledge sharing, and connections that are about people and our relationships with each other and the rest of the world.

p.s. I think humans are overrunning the planet - perhaps everything would be better for all of us and for the other species we share the planet with if we could stop having so many babies. Maybe if everyone in this and the next generation had just one, or none, things would improve instead of getting worse :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Just found the couchsurfing project through some new friends, and I'm very excited about getting involved in hosting, surfing during my next trip, and going to local meet-ups. I just emailed some far-flung friends to let them know about the project.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I haven't surfed yet, but am looking forward to it! Just joined the site, so we haven't hosted anyone yet either, but we're eager to share our perspective on Portland and the Cascadian region.

Interests

Sustainability, local economies, edible native plants, permaculture gardening, chickens, healing herbs, cooking, baking, and preserving food, self-sufficiency, peaceful population reduction, and everything we have to learn from hunter-gatherer cultures.

I love being outdoors, camping, hiking, watching the birds and butterflies, being with plants, visiting farmer's markets, and enjoying all of the wonderful creature comforts of the Pacific Northwest - good coffee, beer, wine, sake, food etc...

• chickens
• birds
• culture
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• wine
• beer
• coffee
• baking
• drinking
• happy hour
• gardening
• technology
• traveling
• socializing
• knitting
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• hunting
• surfing
• track and field
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Books I love: Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood, Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, Stolen Harvest by Vandana Shiva, Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami...

The music of Sigur Ros, Spiritualized, the Congos and all kinds of reggae.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Jon and I rode our bikes over 2000 kilometers in 3 1/2 months, all around Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia last year. We were amazed at the friendly people, delicious food, beautiful mountains, and the many many people of all ages on bikes and scooters.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach some basic fermentation recipes, like sauerkraut, and my partner Jon can teach basic bike maintenance. Really basic knitting - I have needles and yarn you can borrow too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, China, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Saint Lucia, Thailand, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Saint Kitts and Nevis, United States