CURRENT MISSION

To get out there and experience it...life is short!

ABOUT ME

I've travelled and lived abroad, in Asia, Australia, S.C & N. America,, a little of Africa & Middle East, & Antarctica. My last big trip was a meander across Central Asia from Iran to Xian, via the old Silk Routes. Since then I got married and settled in Geelong and we got busy renovating our house, so we haven't been able to host. We hope to be hosting again in the next few months!

PHILOSOPHY

'You are only young once but you can remain immature indefinitely...' (Ogden Nash)... (I am living according to my instinct (young) rather than my age (a bit older!))

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
I love to meet up with or stay with other hosts when I travel - adds a whole other dimension to my trips, and always gives me the highlight experiences. I also love to host CSers when I am settled somewhere - so many good people to meet and this is such a good way to do it! If i can't be travelling, it can feel like I am still experiencing the rest of the world when I have CSers staying :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I met so many interesting people and had some great times with other members on my travels in Russia , China, India & Iran. When I am not traveling myself I enjoy being able to repay some of the kindness and hospitality I have experienced on the road, & have hosted guests from Europe, S & N America... other regions still to come!

I've had a few generic, cut & paste requests , where the CSer clearly hasn't read my profile and doesn't even mention my name (it's Lisa, by the way!) - so I'm just letting you know that you're very unlikely to get a bed here if that's how you go about it! For me, CS is not about getting a free bed for the night, it's about meeting people from other cultures and making connections - so, if you are genuinely interested in sharing time and experiences and you can be bothered to send a personal request that tells me something about yourself and why you want to come and stay with me, then you'd be very welcome if I am free :)

Interests

Travel is my great passion and I love to experience how others live and share time with them, rather than dashing round ticking sights off a list. I also love music of all kinds, I have sung, played classical violin, Japanese koto, traditional Irish fiddle and messed around with all kinds of other instruments. At the minute, I'm an aspiring mandolin player, am fascinated with the oud and the Persian tar, and my taste of hand drumming has left me yearning for more.
I also love hiking, trekking, camping, good vegetarian food, quality chocolate, and sunshine.

• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• chocolate
• vegetarian
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• violin
• hiking
• camping
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music...where do I start?! Irish traditional, especially fiddle; latin music of all flavours; tribal drumming; opera; classical of all eras; the 80's; the Proclaimers, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Elvis, Dervish, Four Men and a Dog... pretty much anything except ravey, trancey stuff that makes me feel like I'm having a panic attack!
Favourite books include Isabel Allende's 'The House of the Spirits', Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice', and Barbara Kingsolver's 'The Poisonwood Bible'. I love to read contemporary, Latin, travel... all kinds of books. My last fantastic read was 'Cutting for Stone'. I don't get to see too many films but favourites would include 'Like Water for Chocolate', 'Midnight in Paris' and 'Of Love and Shadows'

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Oh...so many! Watching the first sunrise of the new year from a mountain top in Japan was pretty special. Reaching the top of Swifcurrent Mountain and taking in the layers of mountains out into the distance... Dancing down the streets of Salvador in the Brasilian Carnaval... The Tibetan avalanche... riding on an elephant's head in Cambodia... sitting on a rock at Everest Base Camp... snorkelling with turtles in the Galapagos... being pecked by penguins in Antarctica... I'm always keen for more, though :)

Teach, Learn, Share

Don't know what to say here! I know a little about a lot but I don't know a lot about anything!I guess, anything in relation to what I have written about elsewhere in the profile.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can offer hosts myself as a considerate, interested guest, keen to learn about their lives and hear their stories. I am not much of a cook, but am always willing to cook something, if they are willing to eat it :) (It would be vegetarian) Happy to share my travel experiences, if they are planning trips to any of the countries I have spent time in. I am a flexible guest... I can be as self- sufficient as necessary, but I am not looking for just a free roof over my head for the night, I hope to spend some time chatting and sharing experiences with my hosts, too.

Countries I’ve Visited

Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Colombia, Ecuador, Ireland, Japan, United Kingdom