First off, I am new to CS so here are my Airbnb references: https://www.airbnb.com/users/reviews?id=7577382

I am a happily married, Canadian traveller who has taught English in Belgium, Japan and in Germany. In my 20s I marketed Whistler Mountain before it became a world-class resort. Our family speaks German but my French is better and I can get around in Russian, Japanese and Spanish. Raising two kids is fun but I also work for a business improvement area called the Village of Islington in Toronto, Canada. I work on community building and arts projects turning tired buildings into works of public art through hiring mural painters and streetscaping.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My connection to making friends around the world began in 1982 when I was a Rotary Exchange Student in Belgium.

Today I still believe that getting to know locals makes the best memories through shared experiences with the people who love to share their homes, experiences and hearts.

Interests

I enjoy independent, meaningful travel experiences, tennis, skiing and cycling. I dabble at painting large scale acrylic canvasses. In university I was fascinated with the power of immigration to shape our country (Canada) and how we prosper through engaging the potential and talents of diverse newcomers. I welcome tolerance and tend to trust people as they can trust me.

While I enjoy watching my two children (16 & 13) grow up and share my life with a loving husband, I also enjoy the chance to strike out on my own from time to time to explore the world on my own.
In the last couple years I've zip lined in Costa Rica and freely explored Russia on my own.

• arts
• boating
• traveling
• painting
• cycling
• scuba diving
• skiing
• tennis
• business

Music, Movies, and Books

Kite Runner, Hossenien
The Orenda, Boyden
What We All Long For, Brand

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Explored the Galapagos on a scuba boat.

On the personal side, I gave birth naturally to two children with the help of hypnosis for childbirth. (my daughter >9lbs was back labour and my son was almost 11lbs!)

Teach, Learn, Share

Taught English in Japan, Belgium and Germany
Learn about speciality cuisine and hotsprings worldwide....
Share ideas of tolerance & integration Canadian style

What I Can Share with Hosts

My joie de vivre - Canadian stories, English or French conversations, what it is like to raise teen agers in North America

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Ukraine, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Canada, Germany, Japan