CURRENT MISSION

I'm moving to Mededllin in January 2012 and live ther for a couple of years to study Spanish Literature and South American History.

ABOUT ME

I'm in Medellin to learn Spanish and then to pursue the study of South American Literature and South American History. I'm certified to teach English as a foreign language and hope to stay quite a while in this wonderful city of eternal Spring.

PHILOSOPHY

Live, Laugh and Love- pretty much in that order. Oh, and, if all else fails- lunge (or lunch or whatever). Seriously, I've recently changed my life a bit: I am now a vegan, eschewing consumption of all animal products after reading the book that convinced Bill Clinton on becoming a vegan, The China Study by Dr.Campbell.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm a hiker and a cyclist; I love to snorkel and to surf; I love to row in a rowing shell and I'm a big reader. I love movies and theater and hearing and telling stories... Hmmm, I'm more than that but I guess that'll do for the moment.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I prefer being 'Captain of my own ship' (read: I prefer staying at hostels rather than on someone's couch). So, my experience with Couchsurfing has been more to do with the many-numbered activities that CSers organize around Medellin. I"ve met some great people and done some exciting things though CS. It's a great way of meeting up with locals and with ex-pats in and around Medellin.

Interests

I'm a big reader and spend my time improving my Spanish by learning vocabulary, watching Spanish-speaking television and Spanish speaking movies. I'm also a big walker and have joined the Linder group of caminantes (I prefer the term camineros). Finally, I have two touring bikes and like to ride with friends around Medellin.

• animals
• books
• literature
• theater
• vegan
• movies
• reading
• hiking
• camping
• snorkeling
• rowing
• history
• nursing
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I love Movies (I subscribe to Netflix and have discarded TV service); I love reading (I have a Kindle and am presently reading 3 books); I like music- listen to classical in the car (as well as pop) but I don't follow music the way I used to.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I hiked the 4 day Inca Trail which ended at Machu Picchu- excellent trip! Earlier this Autumn, I cycled from Bar Harbor, Maine to Key West, Florida with 12 others in a 62-day camping/hosteling extravaganza- also, an excellent trip. I was a nursing student until earlier this year but found that, although I enjoyed all the science I took to get into the program, I wasn't interested in actually doing nursing. During the Summer of 2010, I walked the paths of England (from Bath to Carlisle to NewCastle and finally the Northumberland trek (the best one). I've been an expat before, living in Brussels Belgium for over 5 years and look forward to being an ex-pat again.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach. Learn. Share... YES! (sorry, I'm not sure what this is asking me to do). But, I do believe in 'the luck of the road'. In other words, plan accordingly and then 'just do it!' The road will usually provide you with what you need at the right time. This is not to replace careful planning but consider the luck of the road a blessing.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, China, Egypt, France, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turks and Caicos Islands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Colombia, United Kingdom, United States