CURRENT MISSION

Cycling 2,000 miles from Bristol to Rome.

ABOUT ME

Hi I’m Kerry, I’ve been living in Dingle (County Kerry, Ireland) all year and am now getting ready to relocate to Windsor for two to three months as I’ve got an unpaid internship on a travel magazine based there. I am looking for accommodation in or near Windsor – and am happy to pay for this as obviously two to three months isn’t the general length of a CouchSurf! I’ve worked for Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity in Bristol (they promote bikes and walking and shared use paths etc); for Averys Wine Merchants writing about wine for them, for Waterstone’s bookshop, and for myriad other companies! I’ve lived in Chamonix, Australia, Portugal and Canada and I learned about CouchSurfing last year when I was cycling from Bristol to Rome, following the route of the Victorian Grand Tour but on my bike. I met some truly wonderful people on that trip and am looking forward to a time when I have my own place at last and can return their hospitality.

Anyone who has any tips on where I can stay, or who has a room they are happy to loan to me for a longer period, or who fancies showing me Windsor, or telling me a bit about the history or quirks of the place, or even about cycling in the place - I would love to hear from you. I don't smoke, not allergic to anything, eat anything, sleep anywhere, thanks for reading.

PHILOSOPHY

Why do I live my life. Now there's an interestingly posed question. I didn't have much choice in the matter but am glad I've been given a chance. I value life and love over money and wealth, and am making it my mission to encourage people that they can do the adventurous or even just different things that they think in their quietest moments that they can do, but they never actually do.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

To date I have only surfed, and that was on one big cycling trip last year. I never have my own place or a place in which the other housemates are happy to have surfers, but I am a member of the Bristol Couchsurf club and go to their socials to meet and help out local visitors with advice etc. Looking forward to living in a situation where I can reciprocate and to be able to host myself.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I probably spent about 10 separate nights with couchsurf hosts on my cycling way to Rome from Bristol last summer and I wouldn't even know where to start in explaining how wonderful they and that experience were. Makes you realise that 99.9999% of the people in the world are just INCREDIBLE and trusting and nice: it's not all doom and gloom x

Interests

I like reading about getting under the skin of destinations (currently reading Bidisha's Venetian Masters); cycling; organising things; canoeing; finding unexpected brilliance in unexpected corners; teaching people to cycle (I am a trained instructor now). Flute, piano, guitar music, acoustic singers, i like most things in this life except traffic jams, injustice and sprouts.

• writing
• singing
• wine
• instructor
• walking
• clubbing
• boating
• reading
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• cycling
• canoeing
• sailing
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Little plug here - I am curently interested in writing my book about the Grand Tour on a Grand. The book aims to be a cycling guide to getting from Bristol to Rome; an 'anyone can do it if only they put their mind to it' kind of motivational thing; plus a post-recession, how will you spend your reduncancy pay kind of uplifting tale.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I sat at the stern of a large boat sailing away from Rhodes, watching it until it had slipped over the horizon. And a beautiful Brazilian man that had spent the summer ther too came and sat next to me singing lullabies and we both cried as we kissed goodbye to the fantastic summers that we had both just spent on the island.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, France, Ireland, Israel, Portugal, United Kingdom

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