My husband and I moved to Wilmington, NC almost two years ago after spending most of our lives in New England. We are transplanted "northerners". We love the climate, the graciousness, and the beauty of this area and we're finding that Wilmington is much more than just a beach destination.

The city is historically important having been a critical Port during the Civil War. Economically and politically it has played an important role in the south. In the past 15 years it has become a popular place for retirees from around the US because of its warm weather and lower taxes, The UNCW campus here has a student population in excess of 17,000. As a senior I am able to take classes there for free.....and I do! (French and Spanish)

Wilmington has been the production site of a number of TV series and there is a healthy film industry here.

We have MANY breweries and lots of restaurants of all types. Beaches are accessible and beautiful.

I worked as a sales rep in the gift industry for 30 years but I am really passionate about travel and language. We have been to almost every country in South America, Mexico, many countries in Europe, and Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Hong Kong.

We've been "host" parents to many students (from Kenya, China, India, Colombia, Romania, etc.) They didn't live with us but we were their "family" in the US while studying in Providence, RI (where we used to live).

I work as a volunteer with refugee resettlement and I've essentially "adopted" a Syrian family with 4 children. I spend at least 6 hrs/week helping them with negotiating life (medical and dental appointments, work problems, school conferences, celebrating holidays, etc.)

Yes, we are "older". Young in spirit but this is a fairly active but quiet house. We love sharing stories and welcome open-minded bur respectful guests.

Every week I spend an hour speaking French with an internet language partner. I love this.

I have started working in the travel industry as a consultant so I am learning about deluxe travel, too.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

The most important aspect of travel for us is the opportunity to meet new people. We have done homeeschange and we've been Airbnb hosts. We had super successful experiences. One of my younger friends told us about Couchsurfing so we decided to give it a try - both as travelers and as hosts.

Music, Movies, and Books

We should watch more movies than we do. I don't particularly like the big screen experience so I chose films or series on Netflix or Prime (Lupin, un Village Francais, Seinfeld, Suits - wide variety but not violent).

My husband reads history and non-fiction. I have to admit that after years of working too many hours, I am finally starting to read again. I don't want to just dream; I prefer to learn something.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When we were younger we took a year off and back-packed through South America. This was prior to cell phones or internet. We had no way to communicate with anyone. We had an extraordinary year!

We bathed elephants in Thailand. We went parasailing in France. We shared a cochinillo (suckling pig) in a spontaneous dinner in Segovia.

Teach, Learn, Share

We are welcoming and open to talking about any topic that comes up. We also like sharing experiences, meals - especially if someone is a talented cook.....which I am not), music.

What I Can Share with Hosts

We can share our enthusiasm for life.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Laos, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Viet Nam