CURRENT MISSION

visit all those places we've never been to and do worthy things there

ABOUT ME

Hi - Im Karen and I teach high school science. I travel a lot during the summer and on breaks but this year I am on sabbatical and able to travel all year. Im an environmentalist and am working on a project to document sustainability projects globally and in my community to bring into my classroom and get my students to become activists. I have an amazing daughter, 18 yrs old, and am very active in my community. I coach soccer, sing in the peace and justice community choir, work out as much as i can - swimming and boxing are my favorite sports right now. I enjoy the outdoors and have always hiked and wandered and cannot be indoors on a nice day. I really enjoy meeting new people and learning about how they live their daily lives. I prefer to lead a stress free life, except maybe for a few positive stressors. I feel really fortunate to be in a great and loving relationship with Lisa, my partner.
And I'm Lisa...I like to make stuff, make art, clothes, dinner, make things happen, make friends, make music. I think my name is perfect for me....Lisa ShoeMAKER...but what's funny is I've never made any shoes! Maybe I'm just saving up the shoemaking for my masterpiece, the accumulation of all my creative energy brillantly expressed in a pair of brown loafers...with tassles!
I've been in business for myself since I was seven years old. I'm a serial-entrepreneur. I have more ideas then any one person needs to have in one lifetime. Since I can't possibly follow-through on all the great ideas out there swirling around in the collective consciousness, I love to cheer other people on as they take their first steps toward self-determination. I tell people who work for me that I'm the last person they're ever gonna work for and I just love it when they quit to follow their own passion.

PHILOSOPHY

Everyone, including me, is out there polishing their stone - tolerance and acceptance is truly a gift to give and get - understanding a greater one - life is a gift - as are the people in it - the challenge is to stay fully 100% present in each moment as it unfolds.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We would love to have couchsurfing visitors come on over to Syracuse, even if its just a stopover place to somewhere else. It's centrally located and a good place to relax and regroup.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Been around the block a few times with our couchsurfing experience...and it;s been fascinating....meeting welcoming, interesting people who open their lives up.... what a gift!

Interests

Plants, Regional Foods, Photography, Spirituality, DYI Productions, Diversity and Culture...just about anything we look at with "new eyes" becomes very interesting actually.

• arts
• culture
• singing
• photography
• yoga
• running
• coach
• working out
• clothing
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• sports
• boxing
• soccer
• swimming
• business
• entrepreneurship
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Music? Karen likes pretty gentle music - an old Grateful Dead fan, Joni Mitchell, old folky stuff. But also funk and rap with a good rhythm - just dont like anyone screaming about their misery in my ear. Really like blues though - songs you can feel. I like to read books and watch videos that take me places - new adventures or new cultures.
And Lisa likes what you might call modern roots music. That is, new arrangements from old folk songs something like gypsy-punk-rock.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most amazing thing Karen's ever done, outside of having a child, was to be in the Peace Corps / Philippines for a couple of years a long time ago. It really helped shape who I am today, my independence, my positive outlook and my sense of priorities.
Lisa ran an international business from her totally solar home on top of a remote mountain. Miles from the nearest pavement or electric pole, I was running sewing machines off the sun and making sales to Switzerland...what a trip!

Teach, Learn, Share

Hi! Lisa here and I love to share creative space with people. My favorite atmosphere is one in which people are realizing their connection to the divine by embracing their own unique ability to express themselves. In my travels I have been meeting with and interviewing people who carry the torch for their cultural identity through the making of textiles. We all use fabric in some form or another to represent who we are and our culture. I hope to complete a film about this in the next couple years and welcome ideas about who to interview in countries all over the world. I also love to get together with people for yoga practice.
Karen - I can share the fine art and joy of motorcycle riding, the appreciation of nature, my melodious voice and enthusiasm and positive energy. Learning? I always learn from people - those gifts are unpredictable and exciting....

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, El Salvador, France, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Philippines, United States

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