CURRENT MISSION

To keep on learning what makes the people of this world tick

ABOUT ME

I'm curious about the world. Which I guess is why I love to travel and ended up becoming an anthropologist (I did my PhD on hippies in Hawai'i). I love the 1960s and US alternative lifestyles, and play the ukulele, although not particularly well. I find people odd, marvelous, contradictory, strange and wonderful. I like meeting them. I move around a lot. And I have curly hair.

PHILOSOPHY

Be nice to one another. Not complicated, not difficult, but it works.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've done a bit of couch surfing being hosted by a range of wonderful people (I've seen jazz in medieval pubs in York, walked the Golden Gate bridge in San Fransisco with couchsurfers just to name two examples). I've also just moved somewhere were I can host and that was great fun. Can't wait to do more.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

This technically isn't couchsurfing since I'd not even heard of couchsurfing at the time, but the best sofasurfing experience I had was probably when I flew to Hawai'i with a small rucksack of clothes for a two week vacation. I'd arranged for a friend to pick me up from the airport and to stay with her that first night but after that it was just down to chance. I met another Brit on the flight and he ran a commune, so I stayed on his commune for a few days. I ran into a friend in a bar, and stayed with her for a few days. I went back to see my friend who picked me up from the airport and it rained and rained when I saw her again. Since it's almost impossible to hitchhike in torrential rain I stayed with her for a few more days. A change of clothes, a bottle of sunscreen and a whole lot of optimism was all I packed and it was the best holiday of my life!

Interests

I play the ukulele, and like all that banjo-twanging Americana music. I like to swim, especially in the ocean, and enjoy watching football (by which I mean soccer) and support the mighty Leeds United. I love my family and spend a lot of time hanging out with my friends, camping, walking, sitting, chilling.

• walking
• pub crawls
• clothing
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• camping
• surfing
• soccer
• swimming
• anthropology

Music, Movies, and Books

Hmmm, films I like would include Dirty Dancing (cos I'm a girl of about that age), La Haine, Dobermann, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins and anything by Pixar. Music I like would include American folk music right now, but also electronica and loud music with guitars. Anything but tinny, plastic pop music really. I read too much to list books I think but I love Raymond Chandler, Dorothy L Sayers and Robert B Parker. The Poisonwood Bible is fab. Jonothan Livingstone Seagull and the Hungry Caterpillar are both classics.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've watched four babies being born. There is nothing more miraculous, humbling or awe-inspiring than seeing the beginning of a new life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you a few chords on the ukulele. I'd love to be better at cryptic crosswords. I am happy to teach anyone how to make a proper cup of tea (north of England style) and would love to improve my risotto making. I'd also love to learn things I haven't even thought I'd love to learn yet.

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