CURRENT MISSION

'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams'

ABOUT ME

I'm a sociologist and I study technology, tourism and hospitality. That's one of the reasons I'm so interested in Couchsurfing! But I'm also curious about Couchsurfing because I love to travel. I've traveled around the world and lived, worked, and studied in Italy, England, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, and Vietnam. This spring (2013) I'll be at the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi, Finland. I'm very excited to meet the CS community there!

PHILOSOPHY

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

By hosting and surfing, but also by writing and presenting about Couchsurfing.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

When we were backpacking many years ago, my husband and I met several generous hosts -- a woman we met on a train in Thailand hosted us in her home near Chiang Mai; and an English woman we met in Koh Phanghan, Thailand later gave us her London flat for a week. These encounters were so wonderful and rewarding and have led to some lifelong friendships.

Because of my research on CS, I've met a lot of great CSers -- who have introduced me to even more CSers! I love to host travelers, but I live in a small town in central Massachusetts that is definitely off the beaten path. A few brave souls have found me here and I hope they had a good time. Hopefully other people I've met through Couchsurfing will come visit me!

Interests

Besides traveling, I love spending time with my eight-year old son. I like running and yoga (well, I love yoga and I tolerate running!) I love to bake, cook and try out new recipes.

• writing
• cooking
• recipes
• yoga
• running
• technology
• traveling
• backpacking
• surfing
• sociology
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm usually reading for my research and classes, but I love travel writing and books about the history of traveling, especially 19th century. And anything about time travel. I recently read Homesickness: An American History by Susan J. Matt. Very interesting account of how homesickness and nostalgia have been socially constructed over time. I also just finished Factory Girls by Leslie T. Chang. A somewhat different take on factory life in China than we've seen in the media recently.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Watching my son grow and learn is the most amazing experience of my life. But in terms of travel ... it's hard to choose from all the amazing travel experiences I've had, but I'll pick one favorite: traveling the Silk Road overland from Beijing to Urumqi in 1998.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've been studying the sociology of travel and tourism for more than 10 years now, and I learn something new every day. I am planning to study CS in Rovaniemi over the next few months to learn more about hospitality in Finnish Lapland. If you stay with me or host me, I hope you'll agree to let me interview you or participate in my research!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Peru, Russian Federation, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

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