Spicy vegetarians living in paradise. Grant is an oil painter and art teacher. Amanda is a closeted poet who moonlights as a doctor of philosophy. We both teach at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Little Gatis the cat is a full-time sleeper who sometimes chases imaginary insects and thrives on giving and receiving hugs. Our newest additions are the trickster hero twins Liana & Thalo, born December 2015. Liana finds jumping on the couch to be a hilarious activity, and she is known worldwide for her easily-induced laughter. Thalo frequently attacks Gatis with passionate bursts of love and enjoys doing impressions of Stevie Wonder any time he hears music.

We are excited to open our home to kid-friendly surfers! The twins are the main attraction around here during the day, but (bonus!) they go to bed at 6pm when adult conversation and libations begin. Surfers can share meals and bedtime stories with us and anything else we're up to. We'd love it if you did the dishes! If you catch us on a weekend, we'd love to show you around any of the many natural wonders of Santa Cruz.

Traveling with a baby or toddler? We have a pack-n-play! We can throw all the babes together in one room for sleepy time.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Community is everything! We have surfed (between the two of us) in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Iquitos and Cusco, Peru; Lansing, MI; and St. Augustine, Florida. We have hosted many people from all over the world in Lansing, Michigan; Baltimore; Bloomington, Indiana; and now Santa Cruz. Opening your home to strangers and going into a stranger's home as a guest are two of the most beautiful things in this world. The first time we surfed was in San Juan. Our host had to stay somewhere else that night, so she took us out for food, gave us the keys, and told us what to do with them when we left. CS helps us imagine a world founded on trust and communion. That's why we're here.

Interests

words & images; growing, preparing, and eating delicious food; bees; cycling; yoga; hiking; generally being outside; chardonnay; hammocks

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Heard the singing tree that starts its song every night at 6pm in the Amazon.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ecuador, Italy, Peru, Spain, United States

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