I usually travel locally, but this summer (august 2018) I'm making an exception because my friend who moved to the US years ago is getting married... To celebrate this with them, I'll be crossing the ocean.

I myself am part of a small community of lay people/families and a priest living in an abbey together with 5 benedictine nuns. In my professional life, I teach Dutch to adults (mainly refugees) & help them orientate towards a job or professional training.

I'm not looking for the coolest, most spectacular meeting or for luxury, just for natural, open encounters with normal people :-)

My biggest passion is music. I'm not very eclectical, I have a quite specific taste. The music I like often has traditional/folk or oriental influences. I don't know why that is, maybe because it was not 'constructed' by one person but has grown and lived, is full of connections with people, life?

What I like most, is singing with others. I love to sing with a friend of mine, we try out different things together. I trained in jazz singing for 7 years and also tried a bit of klezmer/eastern European music. I sing daily in our liturgy (a completely different style, but it also has the tradition and life-connection) and sometimes with my students & my guitar.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Because only the 'economy of giving' can free us. Also because I love adventure and surprise. And I prefer getting to know a place through the people living there...

Interests

• singing
• hiking
• spirituality

Music, Movies, and Books

Avishai Cohen
Anouar Brahem
Jordi Savall
L'Arpeggiata
...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I grew slowly inside my mother until I came out one day, ready for this crazy planet.

Teach, Learn, Share

Some songs that have stolen my heart:

Dorantes - Orobroy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZXdXzntmok
Avishai Cohen - Chutzpan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65A1uJp0l-o
Anúna - Media Vita - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMrDCsK42Gc
Aziza Mustafa Zadeh - Always - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imsZQYjPPkE
Arianna Savall - Preghiera - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65A1uJp0l-o
L'Arpeggiata - La dia spagnola - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTsC-pcO1DU
Omer Klein - Oud song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foXE6702PM4

What I Can Share with Hosts

Who I am :-)
& certainly a practical hand, a listening ear and a thankful heart
Cooking is an option as well! Love it. Especially the next phase of eating it all. Mmm... the world of tastes... Besides that, I'm a record-breaking dish-washer.

Besides that, I could sing for you. But you'll have to ask.
Or we could sing together.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ireland