Not Accepting Guests
- Last login over 1 year ago
Join Couchsurfing to see Joan’s full profile.
Overview
About Me
CURRENT MISSION
To continue meeting new people in different countries. Travel is an absolutely amazing personal growth journey. The opportunity to stay with local people is the best way to live and learn. (and it's fun)
ABOUT ME
I am an easy going, non-judgemental, warm and caring person. I love the outdoors and its abundant offering of activities. One of my favorite things is to take my dog into the park near my home and wander through the old growth forest and enjoy the views from one of the many lookouts.
My friends would say that: I have a good sense of humor and I am fun to be around , and that I am reliable and loyal.
My favorite sport is golf.
My children are out on their own and I am semi retired now so I finally have the time to do some things just for me - like travel.
PHILOSOPHY
If I can make just one persons day a bit better for having crossed my path, it has been a good day.
I like to learn something new every day and will take a chance on new adventures.
"Life is not a dress rehearsal"
Why I’m on Couchsurfing
HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
I have hosted from single people to a family of four and 11 months to 68 years of age.
I have met a surfer for coffee and little tour while on holiday in Maui.
I have surfed in New Zealand and Australia during a 3 month trip in 2009 and in British Columbia and several states in northeastern USA .
I have written a book: Down Under Over Easy - How I Couch Surfed My Way To A Less Expensive Holiday, about my 3 month solo trip to New Zealand and Australia - available through Amazon.com.
COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
I have met up with a couch surfer in Maui, Hawaii when I was there on vacation. We had lunch together and then she took my daughter and me for a drive around the area she lives in, got to visit non-touristy places and stores. It was great!
I hosted a surfer from nearby Vancouver. She has stayed with me for 4 weeks over a 10 week period. She is doing graduate work at a lab near my home so it works out so very well for the both of us!
I traveled in New Zealand and OZ for a few months in 2009 and had a lot of great surfing times with a variety of people.
I have surfed in British Columbia and in several Northwestern united States.
I stayed with hosts in South Africa and Swaziland
All positive!
Interests
People and their stories
Travel both near and far
Writing
Helping people
Outdoors - walking
Animals
Photography
Water adventures, sailing, canoeing, snorkelling
Golf
- animals
- dogs
- writing
- books
- photography
- coffee
- walking
- traveling
- outdoor activities
- canoeing
- scuba diving
- sailing
- sports
- swimming
- golf
- mountains
Music, Movies, and Books
Action / adventure movies
Most kinds of music.
Thriller / spy books / Stephen King, Robert Ludlum etc.
One Amazing Thing I’ve Done
Snorkelling with Manatees in the Crystal River in Florida. Snorkelling with turtles in Maui in front of Tiger Woods' house and having a shark swim by.
Swam alongside whale sharks in Western Australia. SCUBA diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Visited Uluru (Ayers Rock). Slept in an underground hostel in Coober Pedy, Australia. Went black water tubing in a cave in New Zealand.
Visited the Grand Canyon, Black Hills of South Dakota - Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments.
Traveled by myself in Turkey and Greece.
Wrote 2 books.
Teach, Learn, Share
I'm open to any new experiences and happy to share any knowledge I have.
Countries I’ve Visited
Australia, Austria, Botswana, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Monaco, Mozambique, New Zealand, Panama, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Countries I’ve Lived In
Canada