CURRENT MISSION

Getting out and beyond my routine and comfort zone pushes me to be a more understanding world citizen.

ABOUT ME

As stated, I'm a full time plus elementary educator for most of the year. I love teaching and throw myself into each day. At the same time, it wears me out and I have to intentionally work at playing. So, I contra dance, garden, make soap, read, create, and travel in the summers whenever I get the chance.
I spent the first 8 years of my life abroad and this instilled a love for culture and travel. So, when I do travel far away in the summers, it's a way of finding home.

PHILOSOPHY

Many analogies come to mind when I think about my personal philosopy of life. My faith is at my center, but other than that, life is like a long portage on a canoe trip, or a hike in the desert. Life is a journey and definitely a process. So many have helped me along the way and so I try to reciprocate and pay it forward in what I do and how I spend my extra energies.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My parents hosted many delegates coming through Vietnam and Hong Kong when I was overseas as a child. We were guests in the "Mennonite Your Way" system when traveling in the States, and I've been a "Mennonite Your Way" hostess for the past 10 years. I'm new to CouchSurfing, but look forward to hosting and guesting as a way to encourage positive intercultural understandings.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I'm new to the system.

Interests

Teaching, contra dancing, soap making, home improvement, gardening, hand crafts (especially fabrics and yarns),playing flute, group singing.

• culture
• singing
• dancing
• crafts
• gardening
• traveling
• hiking
• canoeing
• teaching

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm really behind in movies. I probably have watched more movies on international flights in the last 10 years than I have in my entire lifetime in a movie theater! I'm finishing Eat, Pray, Love, and looking forward to Lacuna (Barbara Kingsolver). I have a long, long, list of books to read. Music? I play classical flute and enjoy most varieties of music. I can't say I follow any bands except contra dance bands like Wild Asparagus, Great Bear Trio, Groovemongers, and The Privy Tippers.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I met my Vietnamese nanny in the jungles of the Mekong Delta after a 35 year absense.

Teach, Learn, Share

Hmmm...I'm pretty good at staying calm in stressful situations. On the international scene, that might be a missed flight, stolen passport, or unintentional cultural faupaux. My mantra at these times is to focus on the big picture of things, breath deeply, and take a next step, even if it means to do nothing.

Countries I’ve Visited

Colombia, Egypt, Hungary

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States