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Overview
About Me
CURRENT MISSION
I seek the wild places - on the earth, in the mind, and of the soul. www.journeytowildness.com
ABOUT ME
My most recent adventure has been my biggest to date. I left my life and career as a school principal on the east coast to travel and write full-time. Six months and 9000 miles later, it was clear that I was on more than just a fun trip - I was on a journey of personal evolution, spiritual discovery, and raw, glorious wildness.
I got gratefully stuck in Santa Cruz in November 2012. Now I coach dozens of clients via skype as a Life Transformation Coach, work part-time as a waitress, write my blog and my upcoming book ("Quit That Freaking Job Already,") and visit the amazing beaches and redwood forests as often as possible. I bike to work, get most of my food from the farmer's market, and have some pretty kick-ass housemates.
I love my life.
PHILOSOPHY
I want to help create a world that works for all living beings. Love the Earth, love others, love yourself!
Why I’m on Couchsurfing
HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
I spent a whole calendar year living entirely by couchsurfing, all over the U.S. ENTIRELY. I have many kindnesses to repay, and I am excited to finally be able to be a host!
COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
My very first visit to Europe, a wonderful woman picked me up at the train station in Paris and let me stay in her home for three days! She showed the city to me, fed me, and told me all about her life as a Parisian.
Then, in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, my friend and I stayed with an awesome guy. He was a paragliding photographer who barely spoke English but let us stay in his extra room right in the middle of town.
Then last summer, I stayed with a fantastic couple in Toledo who brewed their own beer and took me to the community gardens they helped to start in their town. The next night, I stayed in a big ol' hippie house in Wisconsin where I was invited to go night-swimming in a lake and then slept in their hammock out back in the beautiful, warm night. The night after that, I had another lovely host in North Dakota, followed by one more delightful couple in Great Falls, Montana.
My experiences have been exceptionally positive. I love this site and this community!
Interests
writing, evolving, backpacking, biking, yoga, community living, quantum physics, organic gardening, environmental education, wellness, spirituality, meditation, mythology, silliness, psychedelics
- writing
- books
- education
- dining
- beer
- yoga
- coach
- meditation
- gardening
- traveling
- blogging
- outdoor activities
- cycling
- backpacking
- boxing
- paragliding
- swimming
- teaching
- physics
- beaches
Music, Movies, and Books
Books: Ishmael, The Poisonwood Bible, Catcher in the Rye, Life of Pi, The Red Tent, 100 Years of Solitude, White Teeth, Of Mice and Men, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Sciencey brainy stuff, usually about the intersection of science and spirituality or the traditions of native cultures.
I'm also into ancient spiritual texts like the Dammapada, The Baghavad Gita, the Tao de Ching (current favorite), the Bible, the Gnostic gospels, the Yoga Sutras, etc.
Movies: documentaries on science, spirituality, or human interest; dumb comedies when I need to let go
Music: Grimes, Baths, Lana Del Rey, Amanda Palmer, Ani Difranco, The Cure, Bjork, Radiohead, Macklemore, Florence and the Machine
Food: Ethiopian, Indian, Thai, Burmese, macaroni & cheese
One Amazing Thing I’ve Done
Just one?? But every day is so beautiful!
Ok, when backpacking 40 miles through the temperate rainforest in Olympic National Park in Washington State, I heard a loud crack. I looked up and saw a huge, male elk snap a sapling in half as he ran from me. I stopped to watch and one by one, at least a hundred other elk stood up from where they had been grazing or lying all around the thick forest. We walked for about ten minutes completely surrounded by elk on all sides. There were hundreds. I stopped counting. It was one of the most magical moments of my life.
Teach, Learn, Share
THIS box makes me really excited!! One of the things I'm most interested in is the authentic, un-fabricated process of learning - just like this. I love to talk about education and how it can be better in the most revolutionary ways. I also love to talk about how to reverse our thinking about this brilliant planet we are lucky enough to live on. Love to hear adventure stories, especially about outdoor adventures. Also love to share mine.
I love to hear the life stories of others. Also anything about quantum physics or outer space or the depths of the ocean. But mostly life stories.
Countries I’ve Visited
Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, United States
Countries I’ve Lived In
United States
Old School Badges
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2 Vouches -
Pioneer Badge
