CURRENT MISSION
Stephanie wrote this blog of her time with me
www.budgetbucketlist.com/isle-of-wight
sums up what staying here is like !!

I live on the ISLE of WIGHT - in the town of NEWPORT on a 45 foot /15 metre yacht designed to be lived on - a "live aboard" or houseboat.
I officially can host 2 travellers- so if you see "Not Accepting" it will mean there is someone staying already?or has booked. I have had several "No Shows" - surfers not turning up - so you can always send a message asking to be squeezed in - I have had 5 staying a couple of times - very enjoyable experience.
"To walk the path less travelled - blazing a trail, not walking in a rut - the view from the mountain is the next mountain - being happy to be "different", being hosted on a boat, you can't get much different than that !!!!"
If you see someone without a smile - give them one of your's
You're never too old to have a happy childhood !
Being happy, learning guitar and feeding the swans from my house yacht

ABOUT ME

Non smoking, no alcohol, vegan, guitar playing, blues harmonica playing music loving - all genres. Live on a 45 foot converted yacht, no television so read, draw, cook and feed the swans and ducks on the river - only ten minute walk from town centre, but is absolutely peaceful, berth is tidal so sits on the mud or floats on 12 foot of water. For four years until 2014 I worked for a boutique camping company, providing tipis (wigwams) for music festivals (which is why I love all genres from folk to beat box (The Global Gathering is AMAZING festival as is Glastonbury) - building them and taking down after festivals, then drove the truck to the next festival - was great being backstage and working.

PHILOSOPHY

Live and let live. We've 2 ears, 2 eyes, 2 nostrils and a mouth to take stuff in - but only one to talk with. So I don't say much.
Philosophy - "Only dead fish swim with the stream"
"Comparison is the thief of joy" Don't compare yourself with anyone else - we're all good.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Well - let the references speak for themselves, surfers' and friends' (I especially like Lucy's and Celine's (friend), who think of me as an uncle or even grandpa !!) - I love hosting and stops me getting the "empty nest" feeling. Had first couch surfer - Marianne from New York stayed on board for Isle of Wight Festival (Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty played there) and since Marianne have had over three hundred lovely people stay - from yachting students, babies, students to retired couples travelling the world. Several have stay twice or more times- become part of the family and always keep in touch.
COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
Only hosted - great people without exception

Interests

Learning languages - speak English, French, Dutch plus some German, Greek and Italian - all picked up from seafaring.Playing guitar and teach surfers to play card game Cribbage, backgammon and chess. I love preparing and cooking plant based whole food, and displaying the meals on the plate artistically

• poetry
• performing arts
• music festivals
• festivals
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• yachting
• chess
• traveling
• drawing
• music
• guitar
• blues
• camping
• swimming
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

I read Bach's "Jonathon Livingstone, Seagull" and Thomas Pynchon "Gravity's Rainbow" - over and over. I like the poetry of W.B. Yeats (The Song of Wandering Angus). Movies - French/Russian film "The Concert", "Easy Rider" , Woody Allen movies, Bob Dylan documentary film. Have boxed set Series 1 - 9 of Big Bang Theory "Bazinga"!!!!!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Performed my poetry at the Isle of Wight literary festival - one hour spot as headline act on the Saturday with Couchsurfer Dominika working the sound from her laptop.

Teach, Learn, Share

Non meat eating is so much tastier and looks good on the plate - I love preparing food. I participate in morris dancing, barn dancing, Scottish country dancing and 18th century English dancing which I take surfers to.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can cook from basics and offer conversation on all sorts of subjects - and of course swap stories about "couchsurfers I have known!!" and so many differing ways of washing dishes !!

Countries I’ve Visited

Angola, Aruba, Australia, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Liberia, Norway, Russian Federation, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom

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