ABOUT ME

Ask me!

PHILOSOPHY

I'm still working on this, but I do know that life is short...and it is too short to live it in fear, to deny your dreams and passions for the status quo. I'm still struggling with that a bit, but I do try to live as full a life as I think I can. This includes making time for people I love, for activities I love, and anything that really nourishes my soul.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Have not participated in some time, but hoping to get involved a bit locally and of course CS on my next trip.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Have not Couchsurfed in several years, but it all began with my good friend Natalie. We actually share(d) a joint profile, but Natalie is a bigger traveller than I am and she deserves her own at this point. Anyways check us (her) out at https://www.couchsurfing.org/people/natalieandliza/ to see some references for me!

I think CS is fantastic and it's one of the best (if the the only) way to travel. Probably one of the best memories I have is staying with a bunch of Couchsurfers and two Italian hosts in Valencia, Spain during the festival of Las Fallas...lots of fun!

Right now I cannot host but hoping I'll be able to in the near future.

Interests

being active (running, yoga, dancing, weights, whatever - I am down to try a lot of forms of exercise!); learning languages, mostly focusing on Spanish though; dancing; cooking/eating delicious food; wine; camping; walking dogs; massages; Parks & Recreation (current obsession); anything to do with health care, especially maternal health; the beach - love it!; and of course, TRAVEL

Note: My interests extend far and wide, that's not an exhaustive list!

• dogs
• festivals
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• exercise
• yoga
• running
• walking
• drinking
• traveling
• music
• camping
• skydiving
• teaching
• languages
• beaches
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

Oh man, this is such a tough one.

MUSIC:
- I seriously like A LOT of different music. I have a Pandora station for anyone from Lady Gaga to Hector Lavoe to Tycho to Vampire Weekend. *In general* I like music with a beat that is going to make me dance. But, I also love rock and old-school tunes. The Beatles are probably my favorite band of all time with Radiohead a close second (I think...can never decide who is second). Seriously, it's too much to list all of my favorite music.

MOVIES:
- I don't watch as many movies as I'd like. It's hard for me to sit down and commit to one as crazy as that may sound. All-time favorites include Wayne's World, Steel Magnolias, Little Women, Amelie, Y Tu Mama Tambien, and Forgetting Sara Marshall. I really like documentaries too.

BOOKS:
- I tend to choose non-fiction books over fiction, and then I tend to not finish them because they are a bit dense ha. Favorite books include Brave New World, Siddartha, and Little Women. Recent favorite would be Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Agh, tough question. Skydiving probably tops the list!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:
- English
- A little bit of Spanish to someone who knows very little
- Basics about wine

Learn:
- Salsa...trying to learn!
- More Spanish
- Any language!
- Women's health issues, particularly regarding pregnancy and natural birth
- Actually, I'm usually down to learn anything...Soy estudiante de la vida! (I'm a student of life!)

Share:
- Food! I love to eat and like to cook, too.
- Laughs - it is very important to do so!
- Music...music gets me through life and I love many different varieties, as well as discovering new music.

I think we all have something to learn from each other, so I like the idea of "sharing" vs "teacher/student."

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good conversation and company!

Food and drink. :-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Italy, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ecuador, United States