CURRENT MISSION

My current and permanent mission statement is to welcome new people and new experiences into my life

ABOUT ME

I live in Belgium. but I am from the US. I consider myself an open-minded and open-hearted person. I love offering my extra room or couch to anyone who wants to visit me or Belgium or Northern Europe; however, currently, I have a roommate who is staying in my guest room, so if you want to stay, then you will sleep on my sofa bed. I can be shy or out-going, it depends. In the past, I would have said that I'm often too serious, but I've found a way to work that out of my system with the help of a really great group of friends. I'm also a Burner and have been to the Burn in Spain twice and the Burn in Italy twice: www.italianburners.org (Italy), www.goingnowhere.org (Spain), www.burningman.com (Nevada, USA). I have two cats who are extremely special to me.

PHILOSOPHY

It's the people, not the things we own or want, nor is it the places we travel or escape to, but the people that give us what we all really need: contentment.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I joined CS December 2010. I usually can accept couch requests. If I can't host you, I would likely be up for a drink or meeting up somewhere. I could also help you find alternative accommodations. I'm moderately involved in the CS community in Belgium and Mons, and I've joined or helped organize some events. I've met several of my friends in Mons through CouchSurfing although we aren't a very active community compared to larger cities like Lille or Brussels.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I had two outstanding surfing experiences: one in Paris in February 2013 and the other in Dublin in April 2013 - that's it even though I've been a member of CSing since 2010! Definitely want to keep the momentum! I have hosted a bunch of times and love it.

Interests

of course, I love to travel . . . I love Burning, music, gardening, watching the Colbert Report and the Daily Show, writing, spending time with friends, dancing, dressing up, dressing down, listening to a good story, long road trips, banter, laughing, being outside, finding creative ways to improve my life and the lives of others.

• cats
• dogs
• writing
• burningman
• dancing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• breakfast
• drinking
• gardening
• traveling
• music
• surfing
• road trips

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm currently the biggest fan of Ben Harper, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Thievery Corporation, They Might Be Giants, Roy Orbison, The Beatles, Prince, Queen, Pink Floyd, Nina Simone, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, Rufus Wainwright, love songs, yes, I love love songs, Jolie Holland, Dido, Aerosmith, and much more that I haven't heard yet . . . and currently I'm listening to a lot of Indie music, mostly via 8tracks.com.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I stayed several days with a Mayan community in Belize - sharing their lifestyle as much as a tourist can. The women literally made tortillas all day. As soon as they cleaned up from making and cooking tortillas for breakfast, they'd go right into making them for lunch. Eggs, potatoes, and tortillas were part of every meal. Tortillas were used as dog food even! I've never seen a dog tear into 'bread' like they did - they loved them. When night fell, the world was pitch black - no street lights, no neighborhood cafe, no music, in a jungle environment. I slept on a hammock every night (difficult if you're not used to it, which I was not). I really value that experience because it illustrated to me that, while I don't want to change my way of life, there are a million ways to live and, for the most part, each way has it's own advantages and disadvantages. In a related lesson, I understood that there's a point when you just have to choose your path and get on with your life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm constantly amazed at the kindness of strangers when I travel. In a world where it's easier to feel and become isolated from one another and believe others are not willing to help, I am also, in equal amounts, reassured that we are making real efforts to remain connected, thoughtful and giving toward one another.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Bulgaria, United States

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