CURRENT MISSION

Adjust to living in the States

ABOUT ME

I'm trying to be better. It's hard!

Just back from two years in Taiwan, I'm now at my family's house in State College, Pa. I grew up in New York, NY and several towns in eastern Pennsylvanian coal country before finally moving here.

PHILOSOPHY

Do things that make you happy. Think long-term. Value feelings and ethics. Prize the now.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm still new, but I hope to become a more active participant in the CS project. It's wonderful to see and experience the kind of trust that humanity still has in itself and with each other. I want to be a part of that trust, both in building and in sharing it.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My first actual Couchsurfing experience was with my friend Eileen (she was the member then). We stayed with another extremely friendly Couchsurfer, Steve, in Taichung, Taiwan, and had a really good time being entertained by great conversation and wonderful hospitality (beer AND breakfast). He was very helpful as well, sharing all kinds of information about getting around and even emailing me later to follow-up on a question I had. However, following Steve on scooter was possibly top three scariest experiences of my life. We: 1) saw him pull a U-turn in front and between TWO city buses going in opposite directions; 2) make a sharp left turn in front of fifty scooters at the scooter box; 3) do 75 kph in a 40kph zone on a busy Taichung road where the drivers are the ballsiest of all Taiwan. And I still say that even after having been to North Korea's border! =D Couchsurfing with Steven is an experience I will always remember fondly.

After finishing my travels and getting settled back in the States, I hope to be able to host and continue to participate in the Couchsurfing experience.

Interests

Food, drink, reading, art, crafts, the last few days with my scooter, good conversation, laid-back attitudes, language, computer/video games, horticulture, cultural exchange/transmission of ideas, being tactful (I'm still learning), people I haven't met yet

• arts
• ethics
• dining
• cooking
• breakfast
• beer
• drinking
• crafts
• video games
• reading
• boxing
• calligraphy

Music, Movies, and Books

Not much time for movies these days, but I like: indies, musicals, action, period/costume drama, movies that make me feel

I don't listen to enough music to say what I listen to. =D Many would say that's sad, but I hear the outside world calling!

Fantasy, romance, single-subject all-abouts, currently reading Alexander McCall Smith and Italo Calvino, cookbooks, books about sewing

Teach, Learn, Share

Can cook and sew and teach English
Not sure if I am confident enough in other skills to offer to teach them

Would like to learn more wilderness skills, Italian, calligraphy and fonts, time management.

Countries I’ve Visited

Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Taiwan, United States

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