I love playing and watching sports, playing table-top games, crafting, cooking, and being outdoors. I'm a traveling occupational therapist, looking to explore the country and different work settings with my physical therapist partner. We have lived in 4 states in the last 2 years. I love road trips and have hosted 6 Flat Stanley kiddos on my journeys. I can make a friend anywhere I go. Birthdays and weddings are my favorite holidays. I always give food three chances at a first impression (yum!).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Although new to official Couchsurfing, I grew up with my family hosting many people from all walks of life. From amateur and professional cyclists, to high school and college exchange students, to friends of friends, my family has hosted people from Germany, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Honduras, Mexico, Argentina, Canada, and elsewhere in the States. As an adult, I have kept my homes open to others as well, and now that I know about an official site/app, I am excited to meet more people and travel more frugally.

Interests

• cooking
• board games
• basketball
• volleyball
• badminton
• road trips
• national parks
• sewing
• physical therapy
• financial independence
• occupational therapy

Music, Movies, and Books

Any book by Malcolm Gladwell.
Flat Stanley (and the associated pen pal/travel journal projects).

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a life-long learner. I am currently traveling all over the USA for work and fun, visiting significant and historic sites, including those that are part of the National Parks Service. I have traveled out of the country in the past, as well. Between 2008 and 2012, I was fortunate to travel to Honduras, Mexico, and Argentina, to visit the families of exchange students my family hosted.

Travel, especially when interacting with local peoples, can be particularly humbling and enriching. Experiencing how others live, work, and play, can open up oneself to new ideas and a drive for growth: what material things can I do without back home? how can I better understand the historical events that continue to influence the development (or lack of) and the processes in the daily lives of the people who live here? what religious or cultural practices are similar to my own? different from my own? how do the geography, climate, and seasons shape the architecture, holidays, foods, clothes, jobs of a particular area?

My travels lead me to spend increased time researching and reading multiple accounts of historical and recent events in that area. It is incredibly important to learn about not only the current events affecting a society, but the historical context in which the intersection of economies, religions, and events has impacted a society's development, in addition to looking at current events in the broad lens of history. I am not an expert by any means, but I think that learning about different cultures and systems has provided me with the ability to be empathetic and compassionate, and look at others' contributions for guidance and inspiration, leading to better reasoning and problem-solving skills.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Laughter and smiles. :) I know a little about a lot. I love to share my enthusiasm for life, occupational therapy, and the National Park Service.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Canada, Honduras, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States