I was born and raised near Daytona Beach, and I work as an environmental technologist at a power plant. I'm a motorcycle rider and I'm always up for a ride. I like to scuba dive, go on adventures, rock climb, almost anything outdoors, but I can just as easily be a couch potato. It depends on my mood. I'm one of those people who knows a little bit about alot of things. I'm always busy and I kind of like it that way.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

When I first heard about it From my ex-husband, Conrad, I thought he was crazy! But, then I tried it with him and saw that it was a great way to meet new people. I've since begun surfing on my own. I'd like to host as many people as I can while still maintaining my sanity. I love being able to host newbies. It's a great opportunity to open their eyes up to a wonderful community of people and a great way to travel!!

I tell everyone about it, well not everyone, only the cool people! As a recently appointed ambassador, I try to stay at the less traveled couches so that newbies will see that it can be interesting and fun, and also to pass on my experiences both good and bad so that they will be better prepared to avoid the latter!! When I stay with a host I either cook, bring wine or yummies or offer to take them to dinner to offset what I save in lodging. To me couchsurfing is not just a way to save money (try www.globalfreeloaders.com if that's your thing), but a way to forge long lasting friendships among like minded people.

Surfed Plant City and Asheville with my ex-hubby. I did quite a bit of solo surfing in 2009: Marianna (near Panama City), Gainesville, Myrtle Beach & St. Cloud (on my way to Key West). I solo surfed my way up to North Carolina on my motorcycle and then across the Blue Ridge Parkway and back. Great trip with great people.

Couchsurfing experiences:
Surfing Experiences:
Date - Who Surfed - Location - Host
03/2008 - April, Conrad & Austin - Plant City, FL - Julie Nasevicius & husband
04/2008 - Conrad & Austin - Gainesville, FL - Sarah Riley
06/2008 - April & Conrad - Asheville, NC for 1 week - George Zhouf
05/2009 - April (on MC) - Marianna, FL - Charlie & Wendy Schlesinger
05/2009 - April (on MC) - Gainesville, FL - Heather Christian
05/2009 - April (on MC) - Myrtle Beach, SC - Stevanna Pratt
06/2009 - April (on MC traveling to Key West) - Froukje Akkerman - St Cloud, FL
07/2009 - April & Fran Fala - Savannah, GA - Cindy G
10/2009 - April & Conrad - Aviles, Spain - Hector Valcarcel
10/2009 - April & Conrad - San Sebastian, Spain - Jorge (AINVENTION)
10/2009 - April & Conrad - Paris, France - David & Emmanuelle
10/2009 - April & Conrad - Larochette, Luxembourg - Karin (GOOFYLONI)
10/2009 - April & Conrad - Lausanne, Switzerland - Corrine Clayette
10/2009 - April & Conrad - Barcelona, Spain - Lluis Perez-Vidal
06/2010 - April (on MC) - Cordele, GA - Greg Munna
06/2010 - April (on MC) - Dahlonega, GA - Phil Cusmano
06/2010 - April & Conrad - Blowing Rock, NC - Scott Seaman
06/2010 - April (on MC) - Roanoke, VA - Rob Issem
06/2010 - April (on MC) - Asheville, NC - Deanne & David
09/27/2012 - Conrad - Wesley Chapel, FL - Kelly M
11/22/2013 - April & Conrad - Wesley Chapel, FL - Kelly M

Hosting Experiences:
Date - Surfer(s) - Location
08/2008 - Laura Tarquinio, Doug Bohannon, & Cynthia (LADYLAWYER) - Stuart, FL & Winter Haven, FL
12/2008 - Justin & Shawn K - Buffalo, NY
02/2009 - Scott & Wife - Hollywood, SC
02/2009 - Bobby, Jamie & Stella the dog - Denver, CO
03/2009 - Sal Tavormina & Jim - Austin, TX
03/2009 - Nicole Wulff - Gainesville, FL
05/2009 - Louis Gutscenritter +2 (Last minute) - Steamboat Springs, CO
07/2009 - Jackie Faber & Ed Hoffman - St Louis, MO and Shawn Haghigi & Christine - Minneapolis, MN & Orlando, FL and Ross Palmer - Scottsdale, AZ and Jeroen Naeff - The Haugue, Netherlands (And yes, these were all simultaneously - it's our record!)
11/2009 - Mia (POISONPET) on MC - Harrisburg, PA
11/2009 (Thanksgiving) - Frans & Grietjie - Pretoria, South Africa
12/2009 - Joanna Reese & Parents - Easley, SC
12/29/2009 to 01/02/2010 - Vinay Saini, India
01/05-06/2010 - David Young, New Orleans, LA
01/10-13/2010 - Stina Sieg, San Rafael, CA
01/12/2010 - Jakob & Raphaele - Lyon, France
02/20/2010 - Jeff & Melissa Johnson - Jacksonville, FL
04/10/2010 - Anna Mueller +2 - Atlanta, GA
04/11/2010 - Eric, Becca, Chris - Pomona, CA
04/15/2010 - Christina & Chuck Palenchar - Glen Ellen, CA
04/25/2010 - Lisa Beyer & Brian Solito - Titusville, FL
05/12-15/2010 - Amanda Smith - Lansing, MI
05/13/2010 - Luis Karbel - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
07/26-31/2010 - Jackie Faber & Ed Hoffman, St Louis, MO
08/15/2010 - Hanne & Bastian - Netherlands & Germany
09/06/2010 - Ieva, Rosita, & Vytautas - Lithuania
09/12/2010 - Artur, Tomek, Sabina & Ola - Wroclaw, Poland
09/30/2010 - Anja Duerkes & Matthias - Worms, Germany
10/10/2010 - Edward Carvalbo - Gainesville, FL
10/17/2010 - Dough Bohannon - Winter Haven, FL
11/18/2010 - David Reece - Dugspur, VA
11/26/2010 - Muhammad Abdulaziz - Manchester, NH
12/04/2010 - Matt Soprovich - Winnipeg, Canada
12/05-07/2010 - Lisa Markuson - San Francisco, CA
12/06-09/2010 - Linda Cotrufello - Ashland, OR
12/28/2010 - Brooke, Bryan & Emerson Schonfeld - Boca Raton, FL
01/21-22/2011 - Marc & Carol - Jacksonville, FL (also Canada)
01/22/2011 - Ed Mashek - Orlando, FL
02/05/2011 - David Sediles - Tallahassee, FL & William Heffner - Melbourne, FL
02/09-10/2011 - David Young - New Orleans, LA (Welcome Back!)
02/11/2011 - Alayne Unterberger & Paul Deluna - Tampa, FL
02/12/2011 - Nathaniel, Amanda, & Nicole - Tavares, FL
02/23-25/2011 - Ward Lassoe - Sullivans Island, SC
02/26/2011 - Jeff Johnson - Jacksonville, FL
03/06-07/2011 - TYEDIEPURPLE - Arvada, CO & Joe - Jacksonville, FL
03/09-11/2011 - Anneliese Moffit & Katja Dohse - Boone, NC
03/12/2011 - Keith Johns & Michelle - Miami, FL
03/14/2011 - Jon Wells - Jacksonville, FL
3/30-4/1/2011 - Heather Christian - Gainesville, FL & Joshua and Israel Roe - Kentucky
3/30-31/2011 - Johannes Rabauer - Wang, Germany
4/1/2011 - Matt Soprovich - Winnipeg, Canada
4/16-20/2011 - Hurley/Patton family (3 adults, 3 kids) - Morganton, NC
4/29-5/1/2011 - Gina Hunter & 2 sons Dakota & Chase - St. Petersburg, FL
5/2/2011 - Alisha Rowe - Jacksonville, FL
5/5/2011 - Renaud Sauvarie & Fanny - France
6/4-7/2011 - Charlie Graham & Sabrina - Walterboro, SC
7/7/2011 - Rick & Linda - Asheville, NC
7/8-11/2011 - Kadee & Hiram - Daytona Beach, FL
7/11-16/2011 - Kadee - Daytona Beach, FL
7/17-31/2011 - Jackie Faber & Ed Hoffman - St Louis, MO
4/7 - 8/2012 - Dana & Kelli Farnsworth - Tampa, FL
5/3 - 5/4/2012 - Hao & Yuxin - Durham, NC (f/ China)
5/25 -5/26/2012 - Celia & Jany - Montpellier, France
6/4 - 6/6/212 - Paul Deluna - Port Richey, FL
7/1/2012 - Tristan & Kathryn - Columbia, SC
7/3/2012 - Mike & Nate - Boca Raton, FL
7/6 - 7/7/2012 - Sebastian Jaramillo - Popayan, Columbia
7/7/2012 - Annmary Y Miguelangel Vidal - Caracas, Venezuela
7/10 - 7/11/2012 - Amber Wilcox - Washington
7/15 - 7/16/2012 - Rinette & Roy - Putten, Netherlands
7/20/2012 - Jurgen & Tanja & Maya (the dog) - Austria
8/17/2012 - Jamie, Josh, Tricky & Caitie - England
8/18/2012 - Gregg & Karen - Melbourne, FL
8/28-30/2012 - John, Jourdi & Shaina - multiple locations
11/14/2012 - Samantha & Martin - Basel, Switzerland
11/17/2012 - Kelly M - Wesley Chapel, FL
11/16-18/2012 - Phillipe - Karlsruhe, Germany

Interests

• dogs
• books
• cooking
• yoga
• working out
• meditation
• motorcycles
• movies
• music
• live music
• kayaking
• scuba diving
• rock climbing
• jogging
• weightlifting

Music, Movies, and Books

Like a little bit of everything. Listen to almost all music, if I don't like it I can at least tolerate it! My Spotify stations go like this: Breaking Benjamin, Joss Stone, Enigma, Coldplay, Celtic Cross, Christ Botti, Smooth Jazz, Nine Inch Nails, Matt Pond PA, Black Eyed Peas, Flyleaf, The Offspring, Michael Buble, La Roux, Nina Simone, Clannad, The Frames, The Dead Weather, Lady Antebellum, Buju Banton, Maroon 5, Madonna, Shaggy, Crash Kings, Paper Tongues, Albannach, KT Tunstall, Today's Country, Disco, Today's Hits, Lady Gaga, Classic Rock, MGMT,Switchfoot, Zac Brown Band, Adele, Mumford & Sons, Tiffany, Celtic Radio. It's pretty much all over the map of music!!
Like all types of movies as well, but particularly action/adventure and scary movies. My favorite movie of all time is The Last of the Mohicans. A close second is The NeverEnding Story.
For books, again a little of everything, but alas no time. But, I've been making it a point to try to read a little more lately. My favorite book is Jane Eyre. Always has been. I really love Jane Austen also.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Been to Hawaii. Scuba diving is always amazing. Traveled parts of Europe.

Teach, Learn, Share

I just like to make other people happy. Whether it be through shared conversation, meals or whatever. It makes me feel good to make other people happy. But, something I've learned over the years.....you have to learn how to make yourself happy first and foremost. If you're not happy, how in the world are you going to be able to make others happy?!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Tips, stories of past surfing or hosting