ABOUT ME

The readers digest version: Ariel Thomke, I work in theatre/film as a stitcher/designer/artist, I also paint oil paintings for commissions, crafty, creative, non religious, curly red head, colorful, unique laugh, optimistic, friendly, treat others the way you want to be treated, curious about other cultures and traditions, likes to have fun.

Personality wise I am an optimistic person who believes that although life is often not the way we wish it to be with a proactive attitude you can create the life you want. I am a very curious person by nature. I believe everyone and every culture has their story to tell. Learning about the history and culture (food, attitudes, traditions, dances, art, religions) of a place fascinates me.

A good punny joke or funny movie that is witty is always welcome. Making jokes and parodies of songs is one of my favorite things to do even if I am the only one that laughs at them lol. I am not a needy person by nature and don't often complain very much. I am very adaptable in general. I can be okay with having alone time or going out and socializing. I try my best to treat others the way I want to be treated, and try to understand different mindsets rather than judge them first off. There is too much going on in the world to not explore it in my perspective. Let's meet and expand our worlds!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

The general concept of couch surfing is wonderful, idealistic, and benefits the world as a community.

During my travels I have stayed at many wonderful hosts' homes. I loved the experience and hope to be able to host when I have a place of my own that I can do that in! Soon I hope!

Interests

-Art of all kinds: paintings, sculpture, live Theatre, architecture
-Historical sites and cultural museums
-Climbing old towers is always fun
-Festivals/cultural events
-being creative and making/fixing things
-Being generally physically active-walking, biking, hiking
-Drinking and drinking games. Beer is my drink of choice but I enjoy a good drink of any kind. Social drinking and story swapping is always a fun time.
-Dancing of all sorts. I LOVE to dance.

• dogs
• arts
• architecture
• festivals
• dancing
• cheese
• beer
• running
• walking
• drinking
• drinking games
• clothing
• movies
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• rock climbing
• languages
• historic sites

Music, Movies, and Books

The Fifth Element, Forrest Gump, Ferris Beuller's Day Off, Gaurdians of the Galaxy, Men in Black Series, old school looney tunes, Pay It Forward, ....so many more.

Alexander Dumas is one of my favorite authors. So many sub plots and action thrown in :)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1). I studied abroad in Florence, Italy 3 months and it was some of the best times of my life. One of my favorite moments was the last day I was there as I was running around Florence trying to soak up every bit of Italy I could before I had to leave. At the end of the day I watched the sunset over the Arno River on the Ponte Vecchio. The bridge was filled with locals and tourists alike passing through or watching the sunset as a local 2 man Italian band played upbeat, happy, acoustic songs. The colors of the sunset were vibrant and scorched my grateful soul as I looked around at the friends chatting in various languages, the lovers embracing as they silently watch the natural light show enveloped in love, the crowd smiling and moving their feet at the happy singer and guitarists' melodies, and the old man who ever so lovingly and gently carried his small dog through the crowd, looking at it's furry face as if it was his only child. I'm not ashamed to say I cried at the beauty of this simple moment as the musicians played my favorite old song and people began dancing in the cobble stone streets. A dancing fiend of a homeless Italian woman pulled me up to dance with everyone else and we all laughed and moved to the music. It was pure life, in the moment and I will never forget that day.

2) This year I went on a trip to Peru that had a lovely balance of big city, historical city, culture, dancing, and nature. One of the best parts of the trip was taking a 4 day hike on one of the orginal Inca trails to Machu Picchu. The 3 day hike there was filled with beautiful scenery, history, camping, and tasty food so well cooked on the trail by the porters and the fantastic tour guide business Alpaca Expeditions. The multiple ruins we saw along the way were awe inspiring with the leg buringly steep but beautiful Andes mountains as a stunning backdrop. Those sites made Machu Picchu even more amazing knowing so much back story from our wonderful tour guide. From the jungle areas to the top of the peaks to the many fascinating historical sites it was unforgettable.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Happy to help if you would like some extra help around the house! I am handier than I look.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Gibraltar, United States