Hello, Hola, Bonjour, Merhaba!
I am an independent, responsible and 'youthful' American woman from the state of New Hampshire just North of Boston, Massachusetts. I am environmentally conscience as well as respectful of my body. I do not smoke, drink (other than an occasional sip) or do drugs. I approach life with an open mind to other's thoughts and beliefs and am more curious of differences than judgmental. I like to start out with a plan and leave room for being spontaneous.

On a whim, completely out of character for me, I sold my adorable (80 yo) bungalow house after spending 7 years repairing it and establishing beautiful gardens, then reduced my belonging to fit into a 9' x 10' room and left my Architectural job of nearly 10 years. I wanted to take a break from a lifestyle where I was only living to work and to pay for what I needed to work, checking off my goals and bypassing vacations. Good job, money and objects don't=happiness. It's the simple things in life that are so much more rewarding and memorable.

This was freeing and gave me the opportunity to spend a wonderful winter with my sister in sunny, Turkey where she lives. I had barely seen her in decades and we had a great time reconnecting and taking weekend trips around Turkey and to Budapest.

I've never been married or had kids but I have 2 nieces (5 & 7) in the states who I enjoy coloring with, doing crafts, baking, outdoor activities, going to the playground (especially swings), building and reading with and would join right in those activities with kids or adults. Also, very fond of cats and taking dogs for walks and playing with them.

I am neat, organized, clean up after myself and am easy to get along with.
Thank you for considering me, looking forward to meeting you!

Full disclosure: I have food sensitivity to Cow Dairy, Onions, Lobster/Crab & Oats- but I won't die ;-)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Staying in a home with people is much friendlier than being isolated in a hotel during my solo adventures and provides a chance to integrate into the local culture, make new friends, explore nature and visit historical sites. I hope we can share stories of where we live and places we have visited, hang out catching up like lost family (not hooking up) and go on an occasional adventures if available.

Interests

I enjoy yoga, kayaking, casual walks and hikes, yard and board games, crafts and sewing, 2nd hand/antique stores, zoos (I feel guilty about this one), museums, amazing architecture, beautiful gardens and natural settings.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Alternative Rock is my go to music but open minded; enjoy acoustical guitar and piano

Movies: The Good Lie, The Hunger Games, Divergent - Drama, historical fiction, comedy, occasional action flick

Books: The Charm School, Nelson DeMille; The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher; Three cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson; The Sandcastle Girls, Chris Bohjalian

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Climbed the Great Wall of China in Beijing

Teach, Learn, Share

Skills/Talents I can share or help with: Yoga/stretching, Gardening-especially flowers, landscape development and maintenance, dry stacked stone walls, stacking fire wood, DIY home improvements, installing Cedar shakes, Interior/Exterior painting, Interior design advise, color selection, organizing, sewing, cooking and baking, art projects/crafts, AutoCAD, Revit, Photoshop and other basic computer skills, and conversational help for English as a second language.

I am not a professionally trained teacher but was a natural tutor from an early age. In grade school I helped my classmates with Math lessons, assisted my brother who is 9 years younger when he was learning to read and work-studied at a tutoring center in college. While visiting Turkey, I have volunteered to practice English with Turkish soldiers as well as students at an English language school. I also managed to teach basic AutoCAD to someone who knows less English than I do Turkish (with a little help from Google Translate), did I mention I'm very patient. :-)

Would love to learn about Web Design, Video Editing or 3-D printing if you can teach me anything.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am willing to participate as part of the family helping with home projects and everyday tasks, cooking etc. in return for a safe place to stay and the company of 'good friends I've just met'. If you have any time to join my adventures that would be a welcome bonus (hopefully for both of us)!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Turkey, United States