CURRENT MISSION

to inspire soulful world change through artful living

ABOUT ME

In a nutshell - About Julie: I love people. I love this world. I love my children. I love deep connection. Titles I hold include writer,
actor, photographer, blogger,director,mother,activist,
teacher,painter,advocate,volunteer,friend.

My children love couchsurfing: they love hosting, they love traveling. Samuel recently asked an online friend "Have you heard of couchsurfing? Its a really cool thing where you go visit new people in new places and do fun stuff together like play games and visit cool things."

Katherine: AKA Kat is now in graduate school in Princeton, so chances are she will not be here when you come surf our couch,

It is tangentially because of Katherine that we started couchsurfing in the first place - and ironic that she is now so far away. She is a gifted singer and actor as well as student and aims to become a doctor. In the past year she has traveled to Mexico, Argentina, Maine,Wyoming and New York. She is compassionate, kind and passionate about her beliefs and causes.

Emma is a senior at Bakersfield High School. She is very involved in the creative arts and is editor of the school newspaper. She is a liberal feminist who loves debating the meaning of life with random people and hanging out at her favorite coffee haunt.

Samuel: My thirteen-year-old gift: a unique soul who the world labels as having either Asperger's Syndrome or High Functioning Autism. We simply say he is Samuel. As far as possible connections, he does quite well socially these days,om.

As a family - we are very eclectic.

We are all creative in some way. We love exploring and trying new things. We love talking about what we explore and try.

We also enjoy laughing, which makes us a very good audience. As conversationalists, if you say something remotely funny (or punny) we will sincerely laugh as if you said something more amusing than you ever imagined saying ever before. The thing is - we mean it. Especially me.

Sometimes we laugh loudly. Especially me. If laughing loudly embaresses you... ummmm... maybe you ought to either ask some one else to host you or perhaps decline, respectfully to host us.

Politically we are everything. Katherine has fairly conventional Christian beliefs and will tell you those beliefs extend to less conventional things like Equality for all in every way. She, Samuel and I protested in California when marital rights were taken away from many of our friends. We are seen by many non Christians as "cool Christians who 'get it'". I am not sure exactly what that means, but I have heard it more than once. Emma calls herself a conservative Republican, but she is socially in line with Katherine and me. Samuel doesn't care yet. Our mixture makes for some great discussions. And yes, we discuss pretty much everything and anything.

We don't poke fun of one another very much. I am a recovering sarcastic person. Emma enjoys poking fun but abhors being poked.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe humanity is, indeed, shifting in a positive direction. The world is transforming......and I pray, hope, and act in a way so that my family and I will be an active part in celebrating and communicating that shift.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I haven't been hosting lately due to a fight with skin cancer and home improvements. Cancer is behind me now and the home improvements are dancing along well, so I'm ready to crank open the couchsurfing shutters for folks who would like to stay here.

These words by Richard Bach have it down perfectly:

“Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.” ― Richard Bach

Most couchsurfers I meet definitely fall into the "friend" rather than "acquaintence" category.

If any of you are traveling through Bakersfield, surfing with someone else, I would love to introduce you to the Art World here in Bakersfield... which is actually quite extensive for a community of this size and with this (not so artsy) reputation.

We LOVE (and are grateful for) the Couchsurfing concept.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Couchsurfing proves to me what I know is true about the world - people are inherently kind, thoughtful, and want to make a difference in a positive way. We are to be models of this, in every step - this is what I found with the people who surfed with me and the people who have welcomed me into their homes. It is grand!

Interests

Julie: Writing, Theater, Reading, Photography, Poetry, Music, Laughter, Deep Conversations, Purple,My Children, Singing,Learning, Women's Literary History, Educational Advocacy

• arts
• writing
• poetry
• singing
• theater
• photography
• acting
• dancing
• causes
• coffee
• coach
• reading
• traveling
• music
• surfing
• bungee jumping
• teaching
• history
• medicine
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: "Letters to A Young Poet" by Rainer Rilke; "Thirst" by Mary Oliver is my favorite, but I read everything she puts out there; Anything by Natalie Goldberg; Anything by Julia Cameron; "The Year of Living Dangerously" by Joan Didion;"Journal of a Solitude" by May Sarton and this is just a start.

Music - I have eclectic tastes in music and can find my toe tapping across genre - from Folk-Rock to Country Pop to R and B to Hard Rock to alternative to Classical to Jazz to Celtic, I am, chances are, enjoying it.

I love to sing and can sometimes be found belting out 80's music at the local karaoke bar. Just consider yourself warned.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The birth of my children without pain medicine. The death of my younger brother. Engaging the trust of other human beings and bungee jumping into the moment through creativity. Experiencing the deep well of grief for the life I expected... and thankfully didn't receive... and coming out...well? as I am, as my family is as a unit. Yes. That is an amalgam of "Amazing Thing Done/Seen"

Teach, Learn, Share

I write and teach writing. I am especially good at uncorking creativity in people. I am trained as a life coach. I work as an actor, director, and all around theater person and love developing hidden talents in people. If you would like some coaching when I am with you, just ask. It tends to happen "by accident" in conversations, anyway - but we can be intentional with it, too. (I sometimes overuse parenthesis. I have been deleting many of them here. Apologies if you visited my profile before I took so many of them away.)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I offer my optimism and my message of hope. I may offer to write personalized poetry, life coaching, writing coaching or perhaps simply good conversation.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Canada, Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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