CURRENT MISSION

To go to Iceland in June and get cool people to come to Windsor!

ABOUT ME

I am friendly, funny, and prone to make bad puns. I read a lot, especially non-fiction and literary fiction. I am serious about social justice. Probably one of the first things my friends would tell you is that I'm a vegan and I don't drink, smoke, or use drugs. I'm also a bit of a neat freak. But I am nice and we entertain large groups a couple times a week.

My husband, Don, is the extrovert of the two of us. He is typically surrounded by a group of laughing people. At home he is more reserved. He makes replica medieval coins in our garage and he has been on BattleBots. He is an Eagle Scout. He can fix just about anything.

We have been together for seven years and we do pretty much everything together.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe everyone should have a personal philosophy. I believe philosophies can change over time. It is good to discuss them, but important to respect others' beliefs. I believe that it isE important to eliminate suffering for all sentient beings. It is also important to experience as much as possible during our lifetimes. It is our civic duty to be cheerful.

My husband and I started out at completely opposite ends of the political spectrum. We figure if we can learn to get along, anyone can. We also believe polarization is toxic.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We have hosted half a dozen people so far at our home. We have also been fortunate enough to stay with two hosts while we were in Iceland.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We have been very pleased to meet everyone we have encountered through CouchSurfing so far. It is a beautiful thing to make a stranger into a friend.

Interests

I started distance running recently, and I have completed an 8k race. I am writing a novel. I am a vegan and I love to cook. I am trying to learn to ride a unicycle.

Don is an engineer in the solar energy industry. He is interested in alternative energy. He likes studying WWII history, medieval armor and weaponry, and hammered coins. He does medieval combat and he spends a lot of time at the gym. He has a motorcycle and goes on long road trips with friends every couple of years.

Don and I have started backpacking. We also do medieval reenactment with the Society for Creative Anachronism. We spend a lot of time with our African Gray Parrot and our rat terrier.

• writing
• books
• cooking
• vegan
• running
• drinking
• shopping
• traveling
• crochet
• knitting
• hiking
• backpacking
• engineering
• history
• road trips

Music, Movies, and Books

I read a few hundred books a year, mostly off the Amazon best of the month list. I have a book blog. I am reading through the Pulitzers and I have a solid track record guessing which books will make the Booker Prize short list.

We both like all kinds of music, from classic rock to Lady Gaga. I like opera and he likes speed metal, but other than that we mostly overlap. We like being introduced to new bands.

We both loved The Princess Bride, Office Space, and Lord of the Rings. We don't have TV reception because TV has pretty much nothing to offer us.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Seeing the stars in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time. Getting my acceptance letter from Mensa. Finishing my first 8k in just under 60 minutes last month. Hiking the Laugavegurinn.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to knit, crochet, embroider, and use a sewing machine. I can teach you to read Tarot and cast a horoscope. I can teach you how to interact with a parrot. I can teach you anything you want to know about the vegan lifestyle.

Don can teach you how to use shop tools and how to build your own armor. He can teach you to make coins. He can teach you to tie knots and tie down a pickup load securely. He can teach you to sharpen a chainsaw.

I would like to learn to ride my unicycle and play the ukulele I bought in Waikiki. Don would like to learn welding, blacksmithing, and glass bead making. We would both like to learn more about backpacking and foreign travel.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States