CURRENT MISSION

Get in touch with some yin

ABOUT ME

Torn between living in a place long enough to put down roots and constantly moving to see as much as possible of the world. I like to write, take pictures with cameras that are not my own (b/c I can't be bothered to pick out a new one), love the water, nature and animals (at risk for rabies because I am too nice to stray dogs). I like to explore and wander more than see the main sites. My favorite travel times have been when I just happen upon something, whether it be ruin, person, restaurant or friendly dog. I love to hear what other people think about things, about life. I want to see through eyes other than my own! I can be funny and outgoing, but tend toward listening and watching as well. I don't like to be the center of attention, but enjoy chatting in small groups. I am a vegetarian and liberal in my views.

PHILOSOPHY

I shy away from a philosophy, but I do aspire to live my life with thoughtful intention. I would like to get away from being a self indulgent person.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Got on a sailboat to nowhere in Mexico. No wind, strong current and then the mast broke. Bad mojo in the Yucatan, but any trip I live through is a good one!

Road trip to the Maritimes in Canada

Meeting expats in China and HK. Harrowing Halloween experience in HK I also lived through.

Korean culture via American teachers who see the multi faceted and softer side of the peninsula as it truly can be

Made travel buddies in SE Asia, camped in Victoria, lived a piece of student life in Dunedin

Interests

hiking, reading, writing, swimming, skiing, wandering about, chatting over tea, biking, learning. I want to go most anywhere. The place is less important than the people I meet along the way. In Chile, I didn't see anything because I spent 2 weeks hanging out with locals who were friends, but it was one of my best trips.

• animals
• dogs
• culture
• writing
• dancing
• vegetarian
• boating
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• skiing
• track and field
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

I tend to like classics. I appreciate their verbose prose, even though a lot of authors got paid by the word and were just trying to make a buck. I am into wordplay/word smithing as opposed to just a story. Then again, I also like Harry Potter! Banana Yoshimoto is one of the few authors that touches something deep inside, more than emotion or philosophy, the deepening of the soul in some way...or maybe the slapping of my numb neural centers is a better approximation...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My friends seem to think I do all kinds of amazing things like travel at the last minute and alone to random locales. My life course seems to be unique to them, but it seems perfectly ordinary from my frame of mind. Plus, I meet so many others when I travel with way more interesting stories than me! The thing that first pops into my head though is arriving in Trujillo, Spain at sunset. The sky looked like it was on fire and I ran from my hostel up a hill overlooking the town to get a better look. I could not capture it on camera or describe it adequately, but it is seared on my mind. The actual trip and town were nothing spectacular (though off the beaten track and cute), but I guess it is just those little moments that are the fabric of it all.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach about American politics and culture as I have experienced them from working on a campaign and living in various areas of the United States. Also, English, swimming, water skiing (if you have the boat!). I would love to learn practical skills, things I would need to know at some point if I ever wanted to survive outside of conventional civilization. Any dance you know, teach me!!! I may not be good at it, but I would like to try!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belize, Cambodia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Honduras, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, China, Spain, United States

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