I work from home in a quiet, cozy, and mildly cluttered heritage home built in 1908. Love to travel, take walks with the dog, read, watch films, and am currently co-editing a collection of essays on urban planning for authentic communities. I have a husband, no children, except our ten-year old border collie. I also volunteer every second week as a docent at a local heritage property which is very popular with tourists- Craigdarroch Castle, which I often refer to as Victoria's "Downtown Abbey". And I've recently joined the board of the Victoria Festival of Authors.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Travel and meeting people from other parts of the world. I have used and hosted with AirBnB, which I still support, but lately it's started to feel like just another hotel. When we first used it, we were able to have more interactions with hosts and guests, which was really lovely.

Interests

• dogs
• arts
• photography
• music
• urban exploration
• science fiction
• urban planning
• fiction
• urbanism

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: ranges from foreign and art films to science fiction. Really loved the movie Amelie (still) and Truly, Madly Deeply. The latest movie I really gushed over was Arrival. It may not have made sense if you hadn't read the original piece it was based on "Story of Your Life", by Ted Chiang, but I had and so I cried my eyes out, because it was so beautifully done.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have never skydived, or done any kind of daredevil activity. I think the older we get, the more courage it takes to take the kinds of risks that in your twenties would have been easy decisions. Every week I try to take micro risks that push me outside of my comfort zone, but probably nothing remarkable that a stranger would appreciate.

Teach, Learn, Share

In my own home town I'm really happy to help people figure out how they would like to spend their time- the best sites are so dependent on what interests people personally. Always happy to take people on an easy hike with the dog, and might occasionally venture further afield. I spend a lot of time writing and researching, which probably isn't sharable with most people (except other academic/ urban planning geeks). But I love taking amateur photos and looking at other people's amateur photos, and other people's art. I also like to sing and listen to music -everything from classical and folk to older grunge, pop, and electronic.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Both my husband and I enjoy meeting new people, and have no objection to washing dishes, so would generally say that we know how to be good guests. Also even happy to take the family dog for a walk if it helps!

Countries I’ve Visited

Denmark, England, Estonia, France, Grenada, Italy, Mexico, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada