Note: While we love hosting, the uptick in breakthrough Covid-19 cases has made us wary of hosting even vaccinated guests in our home. We hope to resume hosting in the future.

We live in Bedminster, New Jersey -- an hour and a half train ride to New York City, fare is $15+ each way. The train station is about 3 miles from our house. Sometimes I can take you to the station, but you may need a Lyft or Uber to get there if you don't have a car. We have also recently had several couch-surfers asking for long-term stays. We no longer offer these -- 3-4 days is probably what we can give. If you are requesting a stay, please acknowledge that you have read this.

ABOUT ME

I'm a retired children's librarian always eager to learn new things, have new adventures, and share books with young people. I am also a historical impersonator specializing in "fascinating women history forgot" (www.tellingherstories.com). My husband is a computer scientist. We have two daughters - one 29 (a mechanical engineer and circus aerialist who's busy with her own adventures - she told us about Couch-Surfing www.lyralevin.com) and one 24 (a computer scientist who is recently back from New Zealand pursuing adventures of her own.)

PHILOSOPHY

Enjoy Life -- This is not a dress rehearsal!

(I'm not a hedonist, but I do subscribe to the philosophy "Carpe Diem" - seize the day -- and I tend to squeeze the maximum out of every day...some people call me the "Energizer Bunny.")

I love the work I do as a historical impersonator as well as the volunteer work I do (storytimes at the local public school, collecting household goods for a local charity, writing letters and supporting environmental and political issues and candidates -- I'm very much a liberal.) I'm also in several bookgroups and a foreign policy discussion group.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We have several extra beds -- happy to host travelers, including families or groups of up to 5 people (more if people are willing to use sleeping bags.) Note: We live in a suburban area so there is no public transportation -- you'll need a car or can use Lyft or Uber (unless you are biking or walking across the country!)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Have hosted quite a few surfers (singles, couples, and even a family of 6) ...it is a wonderful experience meeting new people from different places. It is a little bit of traveling without the hassle of airport security! We like visitors but have a busy life so expect visitors to be self-sufficient and generally expect requests for no more than 3-4 days.

We had our first Couch-Surfing experience staying at "Miss Jane's" place in Virginia with gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and have also enjoyed staying in Vermont, Flagstaff AZ, and Waterloo NY. We look forward to many more as we have more opportunities to travel in the future.

Interests

Our family loves live theater -- New Jersey has a wonderful theater scene and we attend shows nearly every week. My husband and daughters are avid puzzlers -- we attend the annual National Puzzler's Convention (hosted by Will Shortz, NYTimes Crossword editor and host of NPR's "Sunday Puzzle.") We love hiking and visiting gardens -- or just sitting out having a delicious meal on our back porch, weather permitting!

• writing
• books
• theater
• dining
• walking
• flying
• traveling
• volunteer work
• puzzles
• cycling
• hiking
• history
• science
• volunteering
• mountains
• picnics

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm a children's librarian and avid fan of children's and YA literature. My husband is a science fiction reader.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have wonderful memories of six months in 1979 I spent traveling in Europe and working in England while in college. I loved the adventure of the travel -- and especially the people I met along the way. I got an Interrail Pass and traveled from Greece, through Corfu (renting a moped to see the island -- I still remember that wonderful exploring), Italy (on the morning of my 20th birthday I awoke to a gorgeous sunrise over Pompei after an overnight train from Brindisi (now you know my age!)), Switzerland, Holland, France, Belgium, and England.

More recently, while my eldest daughter was going to French Woods Camp, our family would attend "family week" and I did the flying trapeze...it was a thrill and terrifying all at once. I'm a bit of a "wuss" but my then 70 year old mom fell in love with the trapeze...and has done it many times since -- every chance she gets!

Teach, Learn, Share

Now I dress up as women from history and tell their stories at libraries, historical societies, senior centers, camps and schools. www.tellingherstories.com

Visitors are always invited to share our passions for word puzzles and theater and join us in these pursuits.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Comfort food and convivial conversation (we hope). We love preparing a brunch or picnic and sharing it with friends (old or brand-new!) on a cold winter morn or a warm summer day.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Russian Federation, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States

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