ABOUT ME

As a traveler, I am laid back and low-maintenance. I enjoy hanging out with strangers and friends, but also like being and doing things on my own.

I like to learn about the local life/culture/perspectives/languages, and to see, taste, and feel the uniqueness of each place. I am a vegetarian (eggs and milk are great, but no fish), and not too brave with spicy foods, but I've never had trouble making a meal wherever I go.

At home I am a linguist, sign language interpreter (ASL/English), and teacher, among other things. I like outdoor activities like hiking, biking, walking and jogging, and team sports. My humor runs toward an appreciation of clever connections, and to the chagrin of friends, I can be a bit punny. That's what you get with a linguist, but I entertain myself, at least.

I love to play tour guide, or to be toured by locals, and like to stray off the beaten path.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am new to this community. I had a few couchsurfing adventures a couple years ago, and they were great. I just moved back from Washington, DC to Independence, OR, and I would love to host or meet other couchsurfers in the area (I am in the process of looking for a roommate, so hosting will depend on her, too).

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have mostly couchsurfed with friends or friends-of-friends. I love meeting strangers, though, and love the idea of this world-wide community.

Interests

I am fascinated by human interaction and dynamics. On a more surface level, I love dogs; I am quite a dog freak. The bigger the canine the better, in my mind. :)

And gosh, other interests?
I like to learn, so pretty much anything I don't know about, I like to hear about; for familiar topics, I like learning about new perspectives or insights.

And I like to share about things, as well. I'm quite open, so feel free to ask whatever questions pop into your mind. A common discussion topic? Signed languages are neither universal, nor based on spoken languages (i.e., American Sign Language is not the same as American English)...more to come on that when we meet. ;-)

• animals
• dogs
• fish
• culture
• dancing
• vegetarian
• walking
• drinking
• team sports
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• fishing
• hiking
• sports
• teaching
• languages
• sign language
• tourism

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I love odd encounters with animals. I have held a number of interesting ones (platypus, green sea turtle baby, tazmanian devil, etc.), been taken for a walk by an orangutan, observed a giraffe in its long water-drinking "dance," and two cheetahs clumsily crossing a log-bridge, and sighted an Andean Condor and an Amazon lagoon monster. Of course I've also joined in the tourist traps of elephant, donkey, and camel riding, as well, though with less enduring excitement.

I also like getting away from the ordinary sites -- staying in an Iban longhouse, visiting a Bedouin tribe, trekking through the rainforest here or there, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Botswana, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, San Marino, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, United States