ABOUT ME

I am a North Carolinian - everywhere I've lived is in North Carolina, and I enjoy exploring the state and taking photos, often of abandoned buildings. I am a nanny and a former preschool teacher. I enjoy working with children, reading, painting, hiking, swimming, and photography. I am married with a cat and an old house and no children yet. I enjoy picking blackberries in the summer and making cooking in the winter. i am fairly quiet and introverted. I'm looking to make new friends, but I do not want to party or stay somewhere very loud. I'd rather sit with you on your couch or your front porch and hear all about your life. :) I also enjoy cooking and good food and would enjoy being part of helping to prepare a meal.

PHILOSOPHY

I honestly believe that what one puts as their personal philosophy will change depending on the day and the mood and that sort of thing. That being said, I believe that one should always try to improve the world as much as possible. Sometimes it seems that evil definitely does exist, but people should do what they can to make the world a better place regardless or what they see around them.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have met couchsurfers who have stayed with friends and am looking forward to being more involved and meeting new friends myself!

Interests

photography, reading, painting, hiking/being in the woods, swimming, hanging out with children/baby-sitting, cooking

• cats
• insects
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• partying
• reading
• painting
• hiking
• swimming
• teaching
• rivers

Music, Movies, and Books

I read many kinds of books - John Irving, Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve, and Ann Patchett are a few fiction-writers I've enjoyed, and I occasionally read non-fiction as well. My house is full of books, most of which I haven't gotten around to reading yet. Movies? I don't have much time to watch any, but when I do, I like romantic comedies and dramas best, and my husband and I will often try to influence the other to like ones we like.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Honestly? The most amazing thing to me is seeing children (or adults. or even cats) learn something new and be excited about the world around them. I love when a child tells me something, and you can see the joy and excitement in their face and hear it in their tone. One small thing... a little girl I know finds mushrooms interesting, and so do I. I hadn't been to her house in a few weeks, and on my first day back, she showed me lots of mushrooms growing outside (including a really cool big clump). It's amazing to me that she remembers that that's interesting to both of us and makes an effort to share it with me.

I also find nature just generally beautiful. The simplest things are so wonderful - things like creeks or rivers with trees and moss and rocks around them - things that have been part of the world for so much longer than I have and that just sit there, changing bit by bit over time. I find rot - like a fallen tree especially interesting because I love to watch the tree decay and the insects take over.

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