ABOUT ME

My name is Avis short for Rara Avis which means rare bird in Latin and yes I was born before the Avis rental car company. I was a highly ranked tennis player as a junior and competed throughout the USA acquiring a scholarship to University and continue to compete as an adult in Texas and around the world. My dedication to the sport gave me opportunities to coach around the globe and integrate into other cultures with ease and create lifetime friendships. I am totally a jock!! I have run the NYC marathon and continue to run approx. 10k a day. I played full contact rugby in NYC, Hong Kong, Singapore, and England.
My Honeymoon was a bit unconventional
even for baby boomers cycling, staying at Guest Houses and occasionally camping out for 6 weeks across Europe.
Having experienced the beauty of traveling in Foreign Countries at a young age we understood the beauty, friendships we have maintained and cherished over the years with so many people of different cultures.
To this day, almost every year we take our bikes and cycle anywhere from 2-4 weeks at a clip just to be together, meet people, and enjoy life and yes it's all about the journey.

I have a passion for education and helping young kids prepare for their future and
successfully initiated fundraisers for middle and high school students prepare for the SAT's.
I’ve hosted foreign exchange students, housed young junior tennis players from around the world for years, and mentored and chaperoned young boys and girls at risk playing rugby through the ICEF rugby programs.
I traveled with ICEF on trips to Tahiti, New Zealand, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Throughout the years and I have learned that the greatest gift I can give of is myself and with that brings me the most pleasure and satisfaction that I have made a difference in this world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet people from other Countries and learn/share the beauty of their unique culture. I am extremely neat, considerate and respectful of personal space. I would be delighted to share in any expenses incurred and have no problem with gender, solo hosts, couples or family. If time permits I can also offer free tennis lessons:)
I hope I have shared enough of myself in this brief description and look forward to making new friends.

Interests

Tennis, Rugby, Running, Trekking, Cycling, Triathlons, Picnics, Cooking, People watching, Conversations, Photography, Books, Archeology dig volunteer (Beit Guvrim) Tel Marisha

• books
• photography
• beauty
• cooking
• marathon
• running
• coach
• clubbing
• pub crawls
• socializing
• cycling
• spelunking
• sports
• tennis
• rugby
• cartography
• medicine

Music, Movies, and Books

All across the board from Classical, Rock, Jazz, Rap, Folk-So it’s appropriate that I live in Austin, Texas which is known as the Live Music Capital of the world.

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Walk the Land most resent read.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Started Women's full contact Rugby with my husband in Hong Kong in 1990.

I'll give you a second amazing thing: Hitchhiked with my 70 year old mom in a dilapidated open air jeep bouncing around for 6 hours from Baguio, Philippines to Sagada which at the time was and probably still is a very primal village where we went caving/spelunking.

Teach, Learn, Share

Anything and Everything I know and enjoy!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Anything I have except my tennis racquets

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Philippines, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Hong Kong, Singapore, United States