Some fun facts about me, Gemma, and my partner, Peter:

- In general, we are avid adventures of all kinds. We love to bike (particularly long day trips and touring), and have done several long trips on our tandem bicycle

- We love working on projects at home -- from woodworking, to brewing beer, to cooking

- We love to cook and eat good food, and we love trying new flavors or dishes

- Gemma grew up sailing, and Peter has recently gotten into it as well!

- Gemma is a singer, musician, and dancer

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Although we have not done much Couchsurfing, we have had great experiences with Warmshowers -- a similar service, geared towards touring cyclists. We've loved getting a chance to meet and get to know someone local and stay somewhere we may not otherwise have stayed.

My one experience on Couchsurfing was also a very memorable and wonderful experience. While I was studying at university in Bologna, Italy, I found a SlowFood "Eat In" event posted on Couchsurfing. We traveled to the nearby town, and hung out all day with other fellow travelers-- cooking, eating, sharing recipes, drinking wine, and exploring Imola. We stayed that night with one of the organizers, and I was blown away by his hospitality.

All in all, the vision of Couchsurfing resonates deeply with me. Now that Peter and I recently have moved into a home of our own, we hope to pay forward some of the good will others have shown us.

Interests

- Cooking, eating, and enjoying good food with friends
- Music
- Singing
- Dancing
- Enjoying the outdoors (hiking, biking, sailing, etc)
- Gardening/farming

• dogs
• singing
• dancing
• folk dancing
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• wine
• drinking
• gardening
• traveling
• music
• violin
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• sailing
• engineering
• software

Music, Movies, and Books

My music taste, very generally:

Lots of different traditional music from all over Western Europe (I am particularly familiar with folk music from the British Isles) and Eastern Europe (particularly the Balkans, Bulgaria, and Georgia).

Indie folk / folk rock / folk (i.e. Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists, First Aid Kit, Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel...)

Soul / indie soul / neo soul / funk (i.e. Erykah Badu, Laura Mvula, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Esperanza Spalding, James Brown...)

And lots more!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I sailed with my dad for a month, from near Portland, Maine up the coast, and up the St. John River in Canada. This summer, I'll be doing a similar trip with my partner Peter!

My partner Peter has hiked the Appalachian Trail.

Together, we've done bike touring trips on our tandem bicycle in Scotland, New England, and now Portugal.

Teach, Learn, Share

Learn and share recipes, food, and/or music!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Recipes, stories, music (singing, or if there's a fiddle around...)

This summer, Peter and I will be doing mostly bike touring, so we won't be able to carry much other than the bare essentials.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States