.
*I've been a VERIFIED member of CSing since 2006, have a pioneer badge, have hosted over 60 guests, with 10 Vouches, 38 References, 36 Photos and 45 friends. ... PLEASE SEE MY other profile for more info: ESTHER LORENZ, CHESTER, NS. (I was unable to open my old account so had to open a new one.) ..... But ONLY write to me at THIS SITE: Esther from BLANDFORD, NS

*I love adventure, teaching and learning new things. I'm enthusiastic, energetic and eclectic. After moving 50 times I found this beautiful spot on the south shore of NS near Chester in 1986. Now I love sharing the beauty of my picturesque area with my new and old friends.

*I'm easy going, flexible, have a good sense of humor, am a good listener, like to volunteer. recycle, reuse, and repurpose.
As it is difficult to find steady work in rural NS, I've had many jobs, but am now am semi-retired from LPN nursing, TESL, and Cheffing.
Before this, I did farming, cleaning, sewing, waitressing, was a legal secretary, an Owens-Illinois bottle inspector, an occupational aide in a psychiatric hospital, a cook, a school bus driver, a tiler, a plumber, a carpenter's helper, a trailer park caretaker, a restaurant manager, a fish plant worker, a residential counsellor, a real estate agent, an English tutor, a call center tech rep, a census taker and a nurse's aide. ...... and now I am traveling to fulfill my goal of visiting friends in 194 countries.

***IF YOU CANNOT find a COUCH on CSing, then you could try one of these OTHER SITES that i am a member of or will soon become one:

*BeWelcome.org, ..... Hospitality Club.org, ..... Servas.org, ..... GlobalFreeloaders.com, ..... WorkAway.info, ..... HelpX.Net, ..... WWoofInternational.org, ..... WWoof.Net, .... WomenWelcomeWomen.org, ..... Poosh.org, ..... WarmShowers.org, ....... TakingItGlobal for youth with StayNomad.com, .... and VolunteersBase.com
......

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

*Life is about helping others and sharing what we have. Sharing our home, happiness and sorrows, dreams and passions. Not sharing is like living in a vacuum.

*Hosting is a bit like traveling while staying home.
. :-)
I've hosted dozens of Hitchhikers, bikers and other travelers for many years before CS existed. But since I joined I've hosted over 100 CSers for 1 to 8 days.

*Now, that I'm semi-retired I can travel a few months per year and plan on meeting interesting friendly hosts who share my love of travel..

*I enjoy making new friends from around the world, hosting overnight or for a coffee and /or tour. I have attended local social meet-ups in Halifax sharing interesting stories with Couchsurfers there.

Hosted:
JL.06, Traiga and her husband, Cologne, Germany
AU.06, Ian Pollock, London, UK
AP.07, Ben Tedeschi, Bowraville, Australia
JN.07, Hannah Smeltz, Spartan Giordano, Greenfield, US
JL.07, Sarah Chan, Hfx, NS
JL.07, Brad McGuigan, Vancouver, BC
JL.07, Clayton Anderson, Boulder, CO
NV.07, Gian Carlo and Naoko, Gomes Aires, Portugal
AU.08, Gerben & Anke Balt, Utrecht, Netherlands
AU.08, Neskie Manuel, & friend, Halifax, NS
AU.08, Hana V, Bratislava, Slovenia
AU.08, Wayne Boone, Eastern Passage, NS
AU.08, Sabrina Jenni, Ustendorf, Switzerland
SE.08, Jerry Lantz, Stockholm, Sweden,
SE.08, Tom and Joan Felice, Waverly, TN
SE.08, Sigi Mueller, Frankfort, Germany
MY.09, Lita Vickers, Melbourne, Australia
MY.09, Julie Zefrani, Montreal, Canada
SE.09, Ying Zhang, Beijing, Municipality, China
SE.09, Nadege, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
AU.10, Cat Thomas, Aviemore, Highlands, Scotland
SE.11, Florian Prost, Montreal, Quebec,
AU.12, Micha Flynn, Edmonton, Alberta,
AU.12, India.Indi, Bescano, Catalonia, Spain
... and many more
...

Interests

* I love sharing, hosting and showing people my area.

* I like taking courses on Udemy and Coursera and listening to TedX videos.

* I love animals, art, history, architecture, sightseeing, trying different foods, studying other languages, hiking, kayaking, swimming, cooking, checking out museums, water-color painting, listening to world music, watching films, documentaries, exploring new countries, making new friends and TESL

• animals
• dogs
• arts
• documentaries
• education
• cooking
• coffee
• technology
• movies
• traveling
• blogging
• painting
• world music
• hiking
• kayaking
• camping
• swimming
• teaching
• languages
• hitchhiking
• volunteering
• tours
• wwoof
• sightseeing
• beaches
• parks
• brainstorming
• hostels
• food culture
• web design
• workaway
• temples
• journaling
• unesco
• video making
• churches
• organizing
• meetups
• teaching english
• island hopping
• doing new things
• visiting new places
• lifelong learning
• old cities
• pilgrim
• old town
• highpointing

Music, Movies, and Books

I have so many of each ...
*Films: I like foreign films, documentaries, drama and some comedies.
Like: ... Amelie, ... The Life of Pi, ... The Way ... The Hundred-Foot Walk, ..... Slum Dog Millionaire ..... Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, ... The Big Lebowski, ... Forrest Gump, ..... Mississippi Burning, ..... Rosewood, ...... Dead Man Walking, .... Good Will Hunting, ..... Shawshank Redemption, ..... Finding Nemo, .... Fargo, .... Good Morning Vietnam, ... etc.

*Music: World Folk Music, Putayo, Old Rock and Roll, Reggae, Rock-a-billy, Beatles, The Eagles, Jackson Brown, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Sarah McLaughlin, Valdi, Bruce Cockburn, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Bob Marley and more recently in music, I'd say James Blunt

*Books: Man's Search for Meaning (Frankl), The Hot Zone, The Miracle Detective (Randall Sullivan), The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat (Oliver Sacks) and inspirational books. I like mostly non-fiction, biographies, travel books, stories about animals and I like reading stories on the Net.

*TV: Not into TV, haven’t had cable TV since 2005. But have watched Breaking Bad, Criminal Minds, CSI, Law and Order. Also the Big Bang Theory, Anger Management, Mr. Monk, and documentaries, like the Passionate Eye and The 5th Estate. ... (when I had a TV. I no longer have Cable. But I have WiFi)

*Artists: Van Gogh and Water-Color Artists

*Sports: Loner sports, i.e., like hiking, walking, swimming, exercise and kayaking.

Boardgames: Backgammon, Mahjong, Solitaire, Rummy, SCRABBLE

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1. In 2017, I walked 310 km across northern Spain on part of the Camino de Santiago from France.

2. In 1995, I dIscovered and internalized in a single moment the secret of perpetual happiness and a stress-free life at age 45:
"Have an Attitude with Gratitude.
Be Kind and Tolerant.
Do Your Best in Everything You Do especially at Work and in Family and Friend Relationships.
Learn to Love your Own Company.
Be Grateful for Everything that You Have.
Then Let Go and Let God and Live a Worry-Free Life."

3. In 1980, Hand-Sawed every board, 3x12s, 2x6s, 2x4s, all with hand tools, no power, while helping a friend to build his house in Bath, ME.
4. Built 2 kayaks using marine plywood with my son, 15, during a week-long kayak building workshop in Halifax, 1999.

5. In 1984, Participated in the miracle of birth. Helped deliver 3 babies in 1983! Plus my son's birth in 1984.

6. In 1976, Hitchhiked solo from Boston and back to the Grand Canyon, AZ, 7000 miles, on $50. I spent a week camping at the bottom of the Canyon in Havasupai Village! (north of Peach Springs on Rte 66.) Breathtaking! Highly recommended! My #1 favourite spot!

7. 2010. And still hitchhiking after all these years. HH from Nice, FR to Ancona, IT, to visit Medjugorje, Bosnia, the place of current day miraculous visionaries.

8. Homeschooled my son for 4 of his teen years, driving through 22 states, while teaching industrial arts, academics, visiting hundreds of museums, parks, fairs, beaches, etc. It was an even greater education for my self!
......

Teach, Learn, Share

*Engaging conversation on eclectic topics.
*Sharing about my area, giving tips and or showing you around.
*Teach English, Go Kayaking and Make Moroccan Vegan Stew, or whatever comes up.

*Would like to Learn: Web Design skills, French, other languages and new foods to make or whatever comes up.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Listening and Laughter
Will offer Petrol / Gas $ when tours are offered.
Washing dishes, cleaning, and anything that needs to be done.
Share stories, knowledge and be respectful
Volunteering to help out.
Teach English
What would you like? Please ask me.

And can share the secret for Happiness and a Stress-Free Life:
"Be Kind, Tolerant. Do Your Best in Everything You Do especially at Work and in Family and Friend Relationships. Learn to Love your Own Company. Be Grateful for Everything that You Have. Then Let Go and Let God and Live a Worry-Free Life."

Countries I’ve Visited

Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Palestine, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, United States