CURRENT MISSION

coming soon to a red dirt road near you...

ABOUT ME

My best friends would say that I'm crazy, that I always follow my heart, and that I love them a lot. I'm a free spirit and I love learning new things. I love crystal clear turquoise water, and being able to see miles and miles and miles out into the vast ocean, encompassed by it. I love water sports and drinking coconut water right out of the coconut, under a palm tree, with sand everywhere, and getting crispy burnt from the sun. I'm obsessed with delicious food from all over the world and tropical fruits, especially mangosteen, and durian. Love rainbows! I have an utter obsession with wine and would love to make wine one day. I try to avoid drinking poorly made wine as much as possible. That said, I value quality over quantity, and that goes for everything in my life. I'm pretty much open to anything, that said, i still keep my standards high, at least, as far as character and morals are involved.

It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

How do I participate? I am a piece of the Universe. Also, here's an interesting article about border crossings...
http://www.travelfish.org/border_crossings/thailand

and another page for U.S. passport holders (there are 166 countries that are visa-free for American citizens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_United_States_citizens

free counters

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've lived on a few couches in my day, even in my car, and a favorite couch of mine was in Haiku, Hawaii.

2012
Couchsurfed for a small week in Misterbianco, Catania, Sicily
Spent about a week and a half on board a diving boat in Kattendijkdok, near the Port of Antwerp, and Couchsurfed in a flat on Paardenmarkt, Antwerpen
Couchsurfed in Phuket...
and in Kuala Lumpur most recently...

I respect the planet I reside on and all its occupants. Regretfully, I had an unfortunate encounter with a host who seemed to have different ideas than myself. I couchsurf to get a local's insight on their town and to get their perspective on life, to share stories and a few laughs. If you're looking to hook up, or make me feel uncomfortable, then i'm not the right couchsurfer for you.

Interests

Art (my own and other's);I'm a modern art fanatic, OBSESSED with Salvador Dali, photography, music, vinyasa yoga, chasing active volcanoes, amazing food, stellar wine, breathtaking sunsets, and most importantly, good company. ooh, and bonfires or firepits, and last but not least, (gasp) traveling.

Regarding traveling, well, the way I see it is, anyone can go on a glamourous trip, a holiday if you will, but it takes a certain kind of traveler to explore beyond what an average tourist would seek out. Traveling to me, is about learning, about venturing out beyond your level of comfort, about completely immersing yourself in the land you've set foot upon.

• arts
• modern art
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• yoga
• walking
• drinking
• boating
• traveling
• music
• scuba diving
• sports

Music, Movies, and Books

I'll pretty much listen to anything with a good beat, or something I can sing along to at the top of my lungs!

Best movie of all time: Requiem for a dream

Favorite books...there's a lot...The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck., Dairing Pairings by Evan Goldstein, Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman...More, Now, Again by Elizabeth Wurtzel, The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews by Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystals, Gem & Metal Magic, Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife, The Thousand Secret Senses, The Bonesetter's Daughter, Saving Fish From Drowning, basically, anything that Amy Tan ever wrote, HARRY POTTER....Left To Tell by Imaculee Ilibagiza, Princess by Jean Sasson ,The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, The Life Of Pi by Yann Martel, The Zahir by Paulo Coelho, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra and countless others...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

There are so many amazing things, I simply cannot name just one. An experience that will change my life forever is Burning Man 2011. It can't be explained, you just have to go. The other was watching the sun rise amidst the clouds at the top of Mt Haleakala. At 10,000 feet, it felt like I was walking in the clouds. Reaching the summit of Mount Kerinci on Sumatra Island in Indonesia at 3,805 meters (12,484'), the highest volcano in Southeast Asia. With Climb for Memory Team 2018, ascending to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest free standing mountain in the world and Africa's highest point at 5,895 meters (19,341') via the Machame Route. Reaching the top of Volcan San Pedro at 3,020 meters (9,908') in Solola, Guatemala. Hiking up to and then basking in the beauty of one of the most beautiful high altitude lakes, Laguna Humantay at 4,200 meters (13,779'). Despite altitude sickness, making it up to the summit of Vinicunca (Montana de Siete Colores) at 5,200 meters (17,100') in Pitumarca, Peru. With Climb for Memory Team 2019, we embarked on a ten day trek to Everest (South) Base Camp in Nepal at an altitude of 5,364 meters (17,598') despite the bitterly cold and windy winter conditions in January and were able to witness the glory of Mount Nuptse, Changtse, Lhotse and Everest from Kala Patthar with our own eyes. Life changing, all of it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I enjoy meeting open minded and honest people from all walks of life. There's something to be learned from every encounter.

How to Make a Beautiful Life

Love yourself.
Make peace with who you are
And where you are
At this moment in time.
Listen to your heart.
If you can't hear what it's saying
In this noisy world,
Make time for yourself.
Enjoy your own company.
Let you mind wander among the stars.
Try.
Take chances.
Make mistakes.
Life can be messy
And confusing at times,
But it's also full of surprises.
The next rock in your path
Might be a stepping stone.
Be happy.
When you don't have what you want,
Want what you have.
Make do
That's a well-kept secret of contentment.
There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow.
You have to make your own way.
To know where you are going
Is only part of it.
You need to know where you've been, too.
And if you ever get lost, don't worry..
The people who love you will find you.
Count on it.
Life isn't days and years.
It's what you do with time
And with all the goodness and grace
That's inside you.
Make a Beautiful life.
The kind of life you deserve.

~unknown

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm a pretty good cook and a good listener :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Guatemala, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Thailand, United States

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