I am a transplant from Germany, living in the US of A as a freelance writer/translator. As I work from home, I tend to cocoon a little, so connecting with international and domestic travelers and their stories is a lovely and very welcome diversion. :-)

(Please note: Because I work from home and because "home" is a small apartment, I will not be able to host you for more than one night apiece. I need to be able to focus, and in a small 1-BR apartment, there is very little privacy. If you are just looking for a place for one night, though, I am more than happy to offer you my sleeper couch.)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Travelers: Please, please, please read the entire profile *before* contacting me about staying at my place, and do not just send a generic request that indicates you did not read this. Also: I will NOT accept more than one (1) Couchsurfer into my home at a time, so if you are looking to find a place for two or more travelers, please do not contact me. Also, I am located in St. Petersburg in FLORIDA, NOT Russia.

In 2017, I spent three months bicycling up the entire East Coast Greenway from Key West, FL to Calais, ME with my Australian Shepherd, Murf, and several Couchsurfing hosts have helped making that adventure possible. THANK YOU to those kind souls who hosted not only me, but my dog as well. I'll be eternally grateful for your kindness, open-mindedness, and generosity.

As far as hosting goes, I am particularly interested in hosting long-time travelers, biketourers/bikepackers, and backpackers, but I am open to hosting in general and to hear your individual stories. :-)

If you're not looking for loads of space or luxurious comfort but just for a place to crash, contact me. Mind you, you'll be entering a small downtown apartment, and I am sharing the apartment with the aforementioned dog who sheds like it's his job. I am not a slob, but the dog is determined to spread the goods, and he's much better at shedding than I am at de-shedding the abode. So in addition to a place to crash and a shower, please expect to stock up on dog hair, if you stop by. ;-)

I ask guests to be dog-friendly (a given) and to please NOT feed my dog, ever. No treats, no food-sharing, nothing. Also keep your food and beverages out of reach (he will steal those otherwise; he's highly skilled at draining unattended coffee cups, for example.) My dog is highly allergic to tons of things, and the most innocent-seeming little tidbit can make him very sick, so this rule must absolutely be followed with no exceptions. Thank you for your kind understanding.

If you, too, are traveling with your dog, your pup is welcome along with you as long as your pooch is housebroken, and as long as our dogs get along. (My dog, albeit boisterous, is very friendly and not territorial, if I invite the other dog in, but he will defend himself if he feels threatened, and I can't have that. He needs to be able to be relaxed and feel safe in his home.) If you travel with your dog, please keep your dog with you at all times; so if you leave the apartment, your dog needs to tag along with you.

Also, please be a non-smoker. I live in a non-smoking building; there is no smoking allowed on the property at all, and I don't want to get into issues with my landlord because I accommodate smokers. Again, thank you for your kind understanding.

As for laundry; I don't have a washer/dryer inside my apartment, but my building has a shared, coin-operated washer and dryer that you're welcome to use. It takes $1 in quarters for each round of washing or drying. I am happy to supply you with detergent. There is also a laundromat just a couple of blocks from here; well within walking distance.

I am located in the beautiful and very diverse Historic Uptown neighborhood of St. Petersburg; just about 5 bicycle minutes from the Tampa Bay waterfront parks and within walking and cycling distance of all sorts of amenities, ranging from groceries stores and organic food markets to tons of restaurants, coffee shops, museums, arts & entertainment venues, several bike shops, and even a bicycle co-op less than a mile away. Looking forward to connecting with you. :-)

[I will share my cell # after initial contact has been made via email. ]

Interests

• dogs
• arts
• writing
• reading
• cycling
• hiking
• kayaking
• theatre
• biking
• museums
• galleries

Music, Movies, and Books

I love documentaries and non-fiction, and I have a hot love for travel memoirs. Anything that helps me broaden my horizon, really.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Raced down a bob-sled run on inline skates. And I can't even inline-skate. :-D
Possibly more importantly, I am the first female solo cyclist to ride the entire East Coast Greenway from Key West, FL to Calais, ME. This possibly life-altering adventure was accompanied by my fabulous Australian Shepherd, Murf, who became the first canine to complete the East Coast Greenway. :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Plenty of stories. Tons of German swear words that may come in handy at some point. ;-) Dog hair, courtesy of my rescue Australian Shepherd, Murf. Expert listening skills.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States