CURRENT MISSION

Enjoy life as much as possible. Explore, explore, explore.

ABOUT ME

I laugh a lot because I enjoy life.

PHILOSOPHY

I try to enjoy the small and big things in life. Yes, hiking a mountain over 4,000 meters is pretty spectacular, but so is that tiny cluster of alpine forget-me-nots that you pass on the way to the summit.

I enjoy meeting people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. I think each person has something to teach and learn.

Traveling is a passion. Each time I visit a new place or see something new, I think it can't get any more amazing than this. But it does. And that's why I love to travel - constant amazement at this thing called life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I love hosting couchsurfers, as well as being a guest. Both are a great way to connect with others. I also try to get involved in the local couchsurfing community.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have couchsurfed and hosted many, many times. I've always had such positive experiences with every person I've met through couchsurfing. I think this is a great community!

Interests

Biking, hiking, backpacking, camping, cooking, gardening/farming, reading, travel, brewing beer and drinking it (preferably with really great cheese), winter sports: snowboarding and cross country skiing, smiling and giggling (I'm told I do this a lot), enjoying sunshine, exploring

• cooking
• cheese
• beer
• vegetarian
• drinking
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• homebrewing
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• skiing
• snowboarding

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: So hard to choose! I especially love the Allman Brothers, Neil Young, Paper Bird, Wilco, Greg Brown, Yonder Mountain String Band, Punch Brothers, Taarka, Allah-Las, Andrew Bird, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Beatles, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Camille Saint-Saens

Authors: John Steinbeck, Jonathan Franzen, Tom Robbins, Ed Abbey, Haruki Murakami, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jack Kerouac, Mary Oliver, Kurt Vonnegut. The best book I've read recently is "The Nix" by Nathan Hill.

Movies: Most movies by Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers, Almost Famous, Frida, Anchorman, I Heart Huckabee's

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I can list several, but not just one: Sunrise at the Taj Mahal, watching (and being close enough to hear) a grizzly bear munching on grass, seeing a sea otter having its fur dried with a hair dryer, catching my first glimpse of Mt. Fuji, hiking in Sikkim. Oh, and getting married (cheesy, I know, but it was really awesome and fun).

Teach, Learn, Share

I love to cook and bake, so I could teach you about vegetarian cooking. I can also teach you about beer styles and cheese, and how to make some pretty delicious sangria.

If you can teach me how to flip a coin, that would be awesome. But please note, I am really terrible at flipping a coin currently (as in, the coin flies 20 ft. away from me and usually hits at least one person).

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversation and laughter, at the very least (I hope).

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bahamas, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Iceland, India, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Peru, Saint Martin (French part), South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States

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