My dad came to the US from Bolivia when he was 18 to go to university, not speaking a word of English. He met my mom and made a family. Years later, my abuelita (grandmother) visited us in the states and I peppered her with so many questions about her home in La Paz that she sent me a ticket to visit her in Bolivia. So, at age 12, I flew solo from San Francisco to La Paz, getting lost briefly during a layover in Peru (the flight crew forgot they were supposed to guide me). I knew enough to ask for help and safely got to my destination where I stayed for 2 months in South America, traveling and visiting with family. That whet my appetite for going new places and meeting people from everywhere. I have travelled extensively in the USA and some in South America and Europe. I grew up in the melting pot of the Bay Area in California so I love to connect with an eclectic mix of folks.

Now I live in Camas, Washington, just over the Columbia river from the Portland Oregon airport. I've been married to an amazing guy for 25 years, have 2 adult sons and a sweet, energetic dog and cuddly cat. Over the past 12 years, we have hosted 6 different exchanges students for a year each; one from South America and 5 from Europe. It has been a true privilege and a joy to get to know them and their families. I look forward to hosting fellow couchsurfers so they can enjoy the Pacific Northwest.

No allergies, flexible attitude, stay positive (there's always good in every situation) and love to laugh. I'm very easy to get along with and can be a good diplomat when folks get upset. Who wants to be upset anyway? By the way, I'm vegan and love finding new places to eat. That said, I'm not the vegan police and you can eat your burger around me.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Six years ago, I traveled to Germany with my younger son to visit our German exchange student and her family in Bavaria. During our 3 weeks visit, we traveled to Prague, Vienna, Salzberg, Berlin then up to Denmark to stay with another exchange student and her family. The time that we spent with all the family members was amazing!

This summer, I'm taking my older son to visit the UK, Amsterdam and Paris over 3 weeks. He has never traveled outside of North America and, if we can connect with local couchsurfers, I'm sure we'll better enjoy the places we visit.

I have 2 nieces in the UK who we hope to visit along the way, plus we hope to meet up with several of our exchange students.

Interests

• vegan
• thrifting
• movies
• reading
• travel
• outdoors
• cooking together

Music, Movies, and Books

Too much good music to choose only favorites. First ones to mind are Talking Heads, Paul Simon, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Adele, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Costello, Aretha Franklin, Melodie Gardot, Queen and X.

Favorite movies: It's a Wonderful Life (watch it every year, Frank Capra was a genius), About Time, The JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot films, Shawshank Redemption, His Girl Friday.

Fav books: The Martian, Saints for All Occasions, Ready Player One, Big Little Lies, The Iron Druid Chronicles, The Rosie Project, Unbroken

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Married my sweet husband after only knowing him for 84 days. First year was rough as we got to know each other but he's my best friend, the love of my life and a stellar partner to share life with. I've had accomplishments professionally and personally but I'm proud that I took this leap of faith with him. I'm also quite proud of being mom to my 2 awesome adult children.

That and flying to Bolivia solo when I was 12.

Teach, Learn, Share

Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have access to waterfalls, hiking trails, fantastic vistas, historic highways through lush forests. We live close to Portland, Oregon, which is an amazing city with plenty of festivals, activities, amazing food trucks, restaurants, breweries and a jumping music scene.

I hope to share all of that and to learn what hosts find intriguing about their area. Why they live where they do and what they find good, bad or novel in their town.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm generous, tidy, conscientious and helpful, particularly when staying with someone else. I'd love to share meals, music, activities that define the host's town. I enjoy a good hike, great music, a heady play, fun town festival, a local flea market, an interesting museum or historic architecture. Or just hanging out with someone with a good sense of humor.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bolivia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States