CURRENT MISSION

To be fully present, with a compassionate heart and an open mind.

ABOUT ME

Howdy! I'm a spirited, genuine being who enjoys sharing the joy I've extracted from life with other people. I am happiest outside hiking, biking, swimming, walking, gardening, and exploring wild places. For a living, I coordinate a garden program at an elementary school, educating kids about growing and preparing healthy, fresh food.

The suburbs of Dallas, Texas were my childhood stomping grounds. A summer road trip in college brought me to the Rocky Mountains, and sparked a burning desire to explore mountainous places. The Blue Ridge Mountains called to me, and I hightailed it to the Asheville, NC as soon as I had a college degree. Cities are fun to visit, but the wide open, wild places feel more like home to me. I had every intention to travel after a year volunteering with AmeriCorps, but one year became six and it looks like this has become the home base for shorter adventures.

Being a teacher gives me the huge perk of school breaks, which gives me ample time for feeding my wanderlust. I know people all over the place, so usually when I travel, I stay with friends along the way. But sometimes, I go places where I know not a soul, and that's where Couchsurfing comes in! Hotels and motels feel weird... I'd much rather connect with the people where I'm at.

If you look around my profile, you won't find references because I haven't used this site very much (the down side of knowing people all over the place, I s'pose). I can assure you that I'm a courteous, respectful, and trustworthy human. But I understand that you might be a bit wary of someone who has no reviews. All I can do is ask you to have faith and give me a shot! Everybody's gotta start somewhere :)

PHILOSOPHY

Live life to the fullest and make each thought, word, and action count and come from your heart. Leave no one out, seek balance, and live lightly in unison with nature. Begin all things with compassion.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I enjoy hosting people and showing them around, though right now I live with housemates that aren't ready to have couchsurfers coming through. During school breaks, I like to travel and would like to connect with people in the places I pass through.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have had several folks stay with me in the past and it has always been a joy. My favorite was a woman named Annie from England who decided to take a motorcycle tour of North America after her husband passed away. She was incredibly inspiring.

Interests

Exploring wild places, practicing yoga, cooking healthy delicious food, growing food, dabbling with herbal medicine, reading, telling stories, cheesy puns, heartfelt conversations, traditional folk dancing (think squares, blues, swing, contra, waltz), playing music (to the cats... and with people too!)

• dancing
• cooking
• yoga
• walking
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

Libraries and books stores could occupy me for hours. I love historical fiction, magical realism, some fantasy, memoirs, anything with a captivating story that also enriches my mind. Favorite authors include Isabel Allende, Alice Hoffman, John Steinbeck, Paulo Coelho, Barbara Kingsolver, Michael Pollan, Annie Dillard, Anthony Doerr, Jonathan Safran Foer.

I enjoy any kind of music that moves the soul and makes stringed and rhythm instruments come alive. I play guitar and ukelele and sing, and love to jam with other folks. I feel most alive when I am dancing. Some of my favorite musicians are Norah Jones, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Elephant Revival, The Weepies, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Valerie June, Talking Heads, Alabama Shakes, Nickel Creek, Alt-J, Tune Yards... to name a few.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua. Which is basically sledding down a volcano.

Teach, Learn, Share

Growing food, cooking, herbal medicine, plant ID

What I Can Share with Hosts

When time and resources allow, I love to cook for my hosts, or at least offer a homemade gift or trinket from my hometown.

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States