Hello Friends & Travelers:
We are a married couple, who have spent 15 years living in Africa, while working in Rural Development. We have 2 boys, 25 and 23, the latter attending UC Davis and the older lives in South Lake Tahoe.
We enjoy hosting travelers & wish for a big house and a big yard - for those with tents.... alas, I don't have either.
We've hosted CouchSurfers for several years, and a few summers Chinese, Spanish; French summer exchange students. We've been hosts for high school exchange students for about 13 years. Our most recent was a Slovakian boy; and previous a Chinese student for 2 1/2 years.. We can comfortably host 2 people, depending on which bedroom is free, or a mat on the floor.
Email me for sightseeing ideas. San Luis Obispo is a beautiful place to visit!
I love to knit, garden and grow succulents, drink a good Red, cruise thrift stores, raise Red Wrigglers (Vermiculture) and help others get their worm bins started.
I am passionate about zero waste and stopping the use of "single use plastics". In 2013 started my research about "styrofoam". From there, am very proud to have helped 6 cities get a Polystyrene Ordinance in place. Five of those cities are in San Luis Obispo County. I'm busy with organizing Tableware Share and DOP - Dine Out Bag - so we stop using restaurant throw-aways.
My husband Barry rides bicycle with our local Bicycle Club, is passionate about Electric Vehicles - and getting others to have one; We are both involved in an activist group called SLO Climate Coalition - trying to change our community to be carbon neutral, energy efficient and sustainable.
Janine

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting new people & connecting with friends. If I had a house with 10 bedrooms & could afford it, I'd have them all full with guests paying $10/nite ... at least for the water...

Interests

Drought tolerant gardening, have a significant succulent plant collection, knitting, the environment, water saving techniques; composting & vermiculture - raising worms - who eat my kitchen waste. We are going crazy with the current political presidential candidates and left-wing Democrats, so we watch MSNBC and try to figure out how we can survive until November.
I am passionate about the environment and occasionally help with beach cleanups. I hate Styrofoam, so started up the effort to get our city "foam free". I founded "SLO FOAM FREE" and successfully helped our city to get an ordinance to ban it; now working on the county level. Eventually I hope to see a nation-wide ban on this stuff - food containers, packaging, and force the industry to quit making food containers. Am also helping the City to pass an ordinance to ban single use water bottles.
We love to ski - and love to get up on the mountain when ever we can and wish it were closer than a 5 hr drive. Camping - just upgraded from a Popup Camper to an Rpod Trailer.
I dislike going to the gym .... I prefer to exercise by gardening and walking our Miniature Poodle - Mattie.

• design
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• exercise
• walking
• drinking
• crafts
• gardening
• billiards
• knitting
• music
• camping
• skiing
• swimming
• science
• sightseeing
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

1960's Classic Rock. Some of my favorites are Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Alison Krauss, and of course, the Beatles. I enjoy true life story novels and read every nite till I fall asleep.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Worked and lived 15 years in Africa among Somali nomads, Mali & Niger with Tuaregs - the absolute highlight of our development work. In Mali, I studied the Tuareg crafts and design, developed craft development and sales; was published in the Christian Science Monitor. When I was 19, I lived and worked in Holland, so still keep in touch with my Dutch family and the language.

Teach, Learn, Share

Rural Development passions. How to raise worms for vermiculture; teach you to knit; cook;

What I Can Share with Hosts

Spare room with a single twin bed; shared hall bathroom with our exchange HS student. Please bring your own bed sheets (since this is not a hotel), we have plenty of blankets & pillows.
We are part of a Home Owners Assoc which has a great Community pool and warm Jacuzzi - open until 10p. Bring your swim stuff.
- Kitchen - feel free to use the kitchen & prepare your own food. Please welcome to spice condiments, oil, salt/pepper... whatever you need!
I'm happy to open our house to you & hear your story.

Countries I’ve Visited

Benin, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, England, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Scotland, Senegal, Spain, Togo, Tunisia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mali, Netherlands, Niger, Rwanda, Somalia