CURRENT MISSION
Educating our children (and ourselves) about our world.
"Become friends with people who aren’t your age. Hang out with people whose first language isn’t the same as yours. Get to know someone who doesn’t come from your social class. This is how you see the world. This is how you grow." (Not sure who said this, but it's a great quote).

ABOUT US
We are a family of 4 (me, the mum, Jo, 47, from the UK, my husband of 22 years, Paulo, 47, Brazilian, and our boys, Emilio, 18 and Luis, 14). I joined the couchsurfing site a couple of years ago to host people, families especially, who were travelling, and we had some lovely experiences with some great people. And now it's our turn, so we are now the surfers. We will be travelling for the next 10 months starting in the US, then to New Zealand, Australia, SE Asia, India and Europe. We moved from the UK, just outside London, to the beautiful island of Florianopolis 7 years ago. We love living here, very close to nature, but we also love to discover new places and meet new people. It is the best education for the kids and keeps our minds fresh and open. Couchsurfing is ideal for this.

PHILOSOPHY

Don't believe everything you think! It's a caption from a t-shirt we came across. I'm a big fan of 'The Work' - Byron Katie, and that's what she talks about.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
We hosted some families through the site a couple of years ago and since then, off the site, through word of mouth.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
Hosting and sharing stories and cultures with everyone who has visited here has been a wonderful experience. I love to see a family travelling with kids, and help out if we can.

Interests

I can be interested in almost anything, if the teller is enthusiastic and passionate about the subject.
But, to be more specific, I am interested in culture, travel, mindfulness, yoga , music, spoken word poetry and world events.
My husband loves languages and is an inspired cook.
Em is football crazy and great company. Lu is the IT kid and has just built himself a computer.

• culture
• poetry
• education
• cooking
• vegetarian
• yoga
• traveling
• music
• spoken word
• soccer
• teaching
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Best movie of all time - for the sing-a-long - Jungle Book. I love shows like Survivor and the Amazing Race. Best most recent movie - Beasts of No Nation. My default music choice is always Leonard Cohen. Books - I need your love, is that true? - Byron Katie's 2nd book - for all the ah-ha moments it gave me. Lord of the Rings is in a class of its own, Shantaram was a great read too.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Having my second son at home with no pain relief apart from the breathing techniques I had practiced. Doubt I will ever top that!

All 4 of us rapelled 75 meters into a flooded cave in Bonito earlier this year, snorkelled in the lake at the bottom and then hoisted ourselves back up. Pretty terrifying but good fun.

Teach, Learn, Share

So much to learn, wouldn't know where to start.
Teach and Share:
I have been doing yoga for over 20 years and am happy to share this, especially the breathing techniques (Pranayama).
Paulo cooks fantastic pizza, among other things (he has been vegetarian all his life).
We both have taught EFL for many years, so can help you brush up on your English if you need it.
We have also renovated houses, so can lend our hand to all sorts of practical jobs.
I am the organized one, Paulo is the creative one.
Lu is the IT kid, as I mentioned before, and Em is always, always ready to join in an activity, especially if it involves a ball.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Morocco, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, United Kingdom