A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more it saw, the less it spoke
The less it spoke, the more it heard
Why can't we be like that wise old bird?

I read and sang this nursery rhyme to young children as an early childhood educator. Its simple prose but deep philosophy speaks to the power of essential listening. It is how I revel in conversations to understand gender, race, age and ability.

In my career as a teacher, tutor and volunteer, I have met many children, teenagers and adults from different cultures, family lives and viewpoints. Listening dissolves prejudice. Conversations with oneself and with others are equally important.

My profile photo shows this introspection of the two sides of me: spontaneous and thoughtful. I step back to examine the bigger picture, asking myself: Am I happy? What can I learn in this moment?

It has been a hard journey. Raised in a very conservative, struggling, working-class family, I was taught, as a woman, to fear the world. Now, I face my fear, trusting myself.

Life is the joy of adventure and embracing wonder. I am entranced by live music, swimming in the colours of paintings, tracing sculptures with my eyes, sharing food and exchanging stories.

I couldn’t travel growing up, so now I thirst to explore. Teaching English in Italy and traveling by myself in Europe, a life-changing experience, made me stronger and more confident. My students inspire me. I feel energized. I am my best self.

My curiosity is insatiable. I taught myself fibre arts years ago using library books and trial-and-error. I had one of the best summers crafting mistakes and learning from them. I thrive on new ideas and languages.

My fiancé Tim, a long-time friend of 14 years, encourages me to become who I am, to trust the adventure. Through our difficult childhoods, Tim and I have an intense understanding of each other. We value trust and truth.

We are grateful for Couchsurfing, to open doors and hearts for strangers to become friends. We’d like to live in a world where everyone is a friend.

This summer, we are going to teach English in Barcelona, making the dream real. We both love art, architecture, cinema, reading, swimming, hiking, connecting deeply with people, and of course... peanut butter.

We enjoy. We’re in joy.

Here is Tim’s Couchsurfing profile:
https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/tim.thomas.1

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I’d like to live in a world without strangers. I am so grateful that many people open their doors to making friends from around the world. One day, when I have my own place, I would like to be a Couchsurfing host to return the kindness.

Interests

Reading
Playing guitar
Going to the beach
Crochet
Swimming
Hiking
Films
Museums

• cats
• arts
• architecture
• music festivals
• education
• coffee
• exercise
• yoga
• reading
• crochet
• live music
• guitar
• hiking
• camping
• languages
• psychology
• beaches
• parks
• stargazing
• resilience
• feminism
• museums
• hula hooping
• bodypainting
• deep conversations
• healthy eating
• self-development
• picnics
• optimism
• spontaneity
• flea markets
• biography
• hot springs
• positive thinking
• sunbathing
• humour
• diversity
• nature walks
• trying new things
• abstract art
• word games
• thrift stores
• living in the moment
• swimming in the sea
• sipping tea
• sculptures
• self-empowerment
• complexity
• figure drawing
• fibre arts
• studies of the human mind
• evidence-based living

Music, Movies, and Books

I appreciate all kinds of music including rock, blues, rhythm & blues, jazz, country, folk, classical, instrumental, and experimental.

I enjoy films with interesting cinematography, messages, and thought-provoking stories.

I like to read biographies, science, history and fiction.

Music: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Billie Holiday, Buddy Holly, Simon and Garfunkel, Parker Millsap, Anderson East, Sigur Rós, Conor Oberst, Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, The Carter Family, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Neil Young, Louis Armstrong, and many others.

Films: Hitchcock's Psycho, Vertigo, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Apartment, Nights of Cabiria, Bicycle Thieves, Amélie, The Graduate, 500 Days of Summer, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and more...

Fiction: Snow Falling on Cedars, A Room With a View, 1984, Animal Farm, A Complicated Kindness, Lolita, Charlotte's Web, Feed, The Color Purple and others...

Artists: Kahlo, Kandinsky, Dalí, Miró, Schiele, Klimt, O'Keeffe, M. C. Escher, Picasso, Matisse, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Monet, Yves Klein, Edward Hopper, Frank Gehry and more...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I moved to Italy by myself, got out of several bad situations, navigated a new language, found a place to live and worked in a new country.

I thought I didn’t have any musical talent and would never learn how to play an instrument. But after a series of very disappointing events, I had to create hope in my life, so I decided to learn how to play the guitar.

Teach, Learn, Share

“The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

What I Can Share with Hosts

English lessons
Guitar basics
Crochet tutorial (how to make a scarf, for example)
My experience as a Chinese woman born in Vietnam and growing up in Canada
Deep conversations
Spontaneous puns
My love of charades

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Denmark, England, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Italy, United States, Viet Nam