CURRENT MISSION

eat delicious food, meet wonderful people, see new places, and blog about it all:
mywanderingyear.wordpress.com
(Also, catch up on my blog. I am over a month behind on it!)

ABOUT ME

I'm a peppy, sociable, food-obsessed gal, living in Strasbourg for the past 10 years. I usually teach tiny children, so I like to make very silly jokes. I like to go out for drinks, play board games, make bad puns and cook like crazy.

This year I'm on sabbatical and off to discover new places, but my real passion is meeting new people and learning about how they live in these places.

When we hang out, I will probably give/email you numerous suggestions about things/places/recipes I love.

PHILOSOPHY

Be nice to people. Eat tasty food. Keep learning new things.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like discovering new places, but my best memories are always the people I meet-- through couchsurfing, mutual friends, or just fun conversations with fellow travelers.

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

being a friendly, talkative guest who shares her culture by making you something great to eat. And if you're going to Strasbourg I can tell you where to find fantastic fresh tofu for cheap and/or a good burger.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Stayed with some awesome archeology students (Viking ships!) in Denmark. I also used Warmshowers this summer while I was doing a cycling tour.
I loved meeting new people and trading travel tips and stories.

Interests

contra dancing, shape note singing, trying new foods, meandering, cycling, lolling around on a beach, travel blogs, cooking

• culture
• singing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• drinking
• board games
• traveling
• blogging
• coding
• cycling
• archeology
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

As I child I loved all the Oz books, Amy's Eyes, Anne of Green Gables, the Redwood series, Peter Pan, Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler and a bit later, the Hitchiker's guide, non-horror Stephen King, the Weetzie Bat series.
More Recentky: The Princess Bride, The Poisonwood Bible, Lena Finkel's Magic Barrel, The Kid, anything Sedaris, a little bit of Soukie Stackhouse, Tender at the Bone, the Secret History, Embroideries.

Movies: Door in the Floor, Crazy Heart, Sabrina (the newer version), Away We Go, Bring It On, Sneakers, Spellbound, Return to Oz, Forgetting Sarah Marshall... I hope to someday go to a Sound of Music Singalong.

I don't watch tv on a daily basis, but I have been known to binge-watch a series. There are a few I've watched more than once: Buffy, Veronica Mars, West Wing, Arrested Development, Burning Love. When I want to zone out and laugh, I turn to Big Bang Theory or Modern Family.

I tend to listen to the same music over and over again. I don't really get tired of it. That said, I'm always glad to discover new things, but that generally happens thanks to other people.
Lately, I've been listening to Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond, Shape Note Hymns, Avashai Cohen, Regina Specktor, So-called, Tuneyards, Mountain Goats, and Emmylou Harris. Lucinda Williams was in my head throughout my trip to New Orleans.

TAL!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Go from breezy warm weather to snowy cold weather in the space of a few hours, thanks to the Jungfrau train in Switzerland.
Bike solo around Denmark (not amazing to some people, but it was my first cycling trip and I'm proud).

Teach, Learn, Share

I love trading travel suggestions and tips. I regularly befriend fellow travelers and end up emailing lists of suggestions. I feel like it's part of a traveler's code of behavior to share good ideas.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel tips and stories, helping hand to cook or clean. I will likely make you laugh!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Spain, United States