Northern California girl at heart, but somehow survived the last 18 years living in LaLa Land. Been teaching grammar and writing and math and manners to tiny humans for 20'ish years. Currently, I'm on a 2-year gig teaching English to 2nd graders in Guatemala City. I like to think of it as a productive, healthy, mid-life crisis. Life is a whole lot slower here. An honest to god goal for moving here was to actually watch Netflix for the first time and see what all the hype was about. Um. Totally hooked on Stranger Things! My childhood obsession with those volcano filmstrips morphed into my love-hate relationship with climbing the godforsaken things. I can see Fuego from my balcony, and every time it erupts, I might just scream a little. I like to think I'm living my own Eat, Pray, Love story, where my love is a little street pup named Frida Kahlito. I try my best to take pretty pictures and am often inspired to write terrible, dark, little poems in my Moleskine. Despite the poetry, I'm a pretty happy, smiley, giggly one. Oh, and hats. I'm a little obsessed with hats.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My dad had some crazy ability to chat with strangers and get us invited to homes everywhere we went. He was way ahead of his time.

Interests

• pets
• writing
• photography
• yoga
• running
• reading
• music
• live music
• travel
• love
• veganism
• nature lover
• trails
• trail
• food lover
• gluten free

Music, Movies, and Books

U2, The Head and the Heart, Amos Lee, The Cure, Ray LaMontagne, Rachael Yamagata, Trampled by Turtles...there's always a current obsession...

Siddhartha, Into Thin Air, Never Let Me Go...all of Roald Dahl, Pablo Neruda

The Intouchables, Cinema Paradiso, Life is Beautiful, Like Water for Chocolate, Patterson... everything David Lynch, Christopher Guest, Richard Linklater

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Fell in love with this gorgeous, little, crazy smoochy-pooch street pup named Frida (but first, this move to Guate)

Teach, Learn, Share

This whole living abroad experience has been pretty life-altering.

Really love to learn from other travelers and share stories about life and love and this whole crazy-ass journey

Please teach me to sing in tune. Ok. I really don't think that's possible. Would love to learn to play the piano...or the ukulele.

Crazy, out-of-control laughter.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I make a pretty mean gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip bread, and I may have a silly story or two.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Guatemala, United States