Hello. I am an avid outdoors person. I love to hike, cross-country ski and ride my electric bike up and down the hills of Seattle. I'm a retired elementary school teacher. My fiance and I enjoy doing crossword and other puzzles, playing board games and traveling.

Ethan speaks German and some Spanish. He lived in West Africa the first 9 years of his life.. We don't drink coffee but there's a coffee shop that's a 10 minute walk from the house.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'd rather spend my travel budget on eating well and extending my trip rather than paying for lodging. We recently hosted a Belgium cyclist who reminded me how wonderful it is to stay with local folks and exchange ideas.
I think the best way to get to know a new place is by talking to the locals. I like to get the inside scoop on the local culture and politics and I enjoy meeting new people from varied backgrounds.

Interests

• board games
• puzzles
• hiking
• camping
• curling

Music, Movies, and Books

I love traditional and folk music of many genre's. I like to contra (square) dance.
I just finished This Tender Land, a lovely novel that's a modern day Huck Finn story.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Probably the most amazing thing I've done is raising 2 kind-hearted and intelligent children. Next, would be teaching 18-22 squirrelly 6 and 7 year olds 5 days a week, 36 weeks a year.
I'll also mention walking the 192 mile English Coast to Coast "trail" without GPS and only getting seriously lost once.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Sierra Leone, United States