I'm an avid learner. My favorite way to travel is to go somewhere and stay a while, find out how people there live every day (just like I do where I live). How do we differ? How are we the same?

The first thing I try to do in a new place is visit a big grocery store and/or open air market - wherever it is that most locals do their regular shopping. Usually on that same day, too, I try to walk as far as I can around the area to absorb the feeling of the place: the light, the people's body language and facial expressions, the smells, the street sounds, how the air feels. I care much less about exciting sights (though those are terrific too!) than about how people live, feel, think, and operate every day.

I'm a mild introvert; I need decompression time every day to quietly rest and absorb everything I've experienced. But I do enjoy spending time with people, especially those with whom I discover shared interests or other commonalities.

...more to come...

Interests

• farm animals
• singing
• tattoos
• diy
• animal welfare
• walking
• animal care
• knitting
• folk music
• backpacking
• horse riding
• archaeology
• learning new things
• #hiking
• #cooking
• textiles
• fermentation
• maker
• orchids
• old buildings
• wild animals
• #horses
• old ways

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

"Amazing" can be relative - what's amazing to me (pretty much any sunrise) might not be to anyone else, and probably vice versa. However, I will never forget this experience: I was camping at Lava Beds National Monument in remote northeastern California and was woken at dawn by the sound of coyotes howling and barking. They seemed close, so I climbed out of the tent in my pajamas to see what was going on. On a low ridge in front of me was a deer running as fast as she could, trailed by a few coyotes. When she reached the base of the ridge, another group were waiting to ambush her. They were feasting on venison in an amazingly short time: a Nature episode in real life. It might sound gruesome, but it was strangely beautiful in a way that's hard to explain. (Also, I'm a biologist with emphasis in behavioral ecology, so this was extra special for me personally.)

Teach, Learn, Share

- I bake great bread!
- Love to cook with people - share recipes, new flavors, and stories, while actually cooking and then eating.
- Happy to help people with their English language skills (I have a pretty big vocabulary and enjoy using it).
- I'd love to share my favorite trails with those who enjoy hiking.
- San Francisco is a city of neighborhoods - it's great to have new people to explore them with.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm a quiet, tidy, helpful houseguest. I much prefer to participate and help out than to sit around at someone else's home.

Countries I’ve Visited

Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Switzerland