CURRENT MISSION

Time for me to travel more, experience different cultures, share my experiences

ABOUT ME

I would like to make some international connections, build community one couch at a time. The best experiences I ever had when traveling were the times I spent with people who lived and worked in the areas I visited. Dinners with colleagues, tours of a city given by people from that city, sharing stories... these were always the best experiences to me. I am married, mother of one son, age 30. I've lived in Maine for the past 27 years when I came to teach at UMaine. I have always been interested in travel and other cultures. I am the study abroad advisor for social work students at UMaine. I have hosted a number of students over the past years -- I've learned so much from these students - about culture, about language, and looking at the world through different eyes... and I've cooked meals, made Thanksgiving dinner, helped them outfit their dorm rooms, given them a place to go when the dorms close, laughed, and enjoyed every minute! I want to be able to keep traveling and visiting the world and couchsurfing seems like a great way to do this.
PHILOSOPHY

I believe in trying new experiences - even when you are scared - and trying to laugh when you have setbacks. Family and friends make sharing new experiences even better.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We signed up for CS because we heard from several friends who have had great experiences as both host and surfer. I'm looking forward to being a part of this community. We've met many wonderful people through couchsurfing!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My couch-surfing experience takes me back 40 years to my college days and junior year abroad. During that year, I took advantage of everyone I might know - old roomates' boyfriends studying abroad, someone I met on a train who I might travel with for awhile, old exchange students from my high school days. I slept on floors of friends of friends, pulled out my sleeping bag, enjoying the new friendships. Now, I'm ready to offer my own home for others to have a good experience and I'm ready to start creating new friendships and cultural experiences... updated from my younger travel years.

Interests

biking, hiking, quilting, hosting international students, making imovies, sitting on beautiful beaches, teaching, cooking, going to museums

• arts
• culture
• cooking
• traveling
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• teaching
• social work
• study abroad
• tours
• beaches
• lakes

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Pride and Prejudice - an old favority. Haven't laughed so hard as I did when I saw the cartoon "Up"! Music --- oldies and classical -- but my son has introduced me to newer sounds (for me anyway - like Coldplay).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Amazing things I've seen: The Grand Canyon, The Alhambra, sunset over the ocean on Prince Edward Island,fields of wildflowers on a summer day in Maine, the cathedral in Antwerp.
Amazing things I've done: gotten federal funding to support social work students studying abroad, worked with social workers from Maine's Native American communities, backpacked through Europe at age 20, hiked the Lakes District in snow and rain, raising my son, biked Prince Edward Island roads on a beautiful summer day

Teach, Learn, Share

I would love to learn how to cook from people around the world....any new cuisine! I'm a social work professor --- I would be happy to share what I know with others interested in working with children and families... and I am always interested in learning about how other countries provide services to their children and families. I dream about taking courses/learning about art and culture in other countries.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, United Kingdom, United States

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