I'm kind of a typical Portlander (if that means anything).
I ride a bicycle. I drink a lot of coffee. I have a small dog. I hardly ever watch television.

I'm an east coast transplant: grew up in Maine and lived in Boston and NYC before moving to Portland in 2007.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My ex husband and I hosted a few people through this site; I will continue to do so every now and then. My schedule is pretty busy, so I am a better host for the very independent traveler. I can provide you with a bunch of guidebooks and suggestions, and be a welcoming face when you return at the end of the day.

I have stayed with couchsurfers in Colorado and New York.
Through a similar site (global freeloaders), I stayed with and met wonderful people in New Zealand, Sweden, and Scotland in 2003. I've also hosted visitors/friends from Australia, San Francisco, London, and elsewhere.

Interests

travel and meandering, yoga and meditation, gardening, anatomy & kinesiology, hiking, mountains, Burning Man, bike commuting, dancing to bass-filled music while wearing stompy boots, hula hooping (badly), dancing swing/blues/tango a little (but it's been a long time), theatre, reading good books, cooking & eating the yummy results, watching quirky movies, coffee, chocolate, conversations with good friends while enjoying Portland's many happy hours, looking at other people's art, thinking about creating my own art, knitting, finding music on my iPod that I didn't know I had, fighting self-doubt, breathing.

• animals
• cats
• dogs
• arts
• books
• beauty
• burningman
• festivals
• dancing
• cooking
• chocolate
• coffee
• picnic
• yoga
• massage therapy
• meditation
• walking
• drinking
• happy hour
• gardening
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• knitting
• music
• blues
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• anatomy
• teaching
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Downtempo electronica, swingy jazz, indie rock, blues...will listen to almost anything, though not fond of country or r&b. There's a lot of good local Portland music.
Recent concerts I've heard in the past year: Cigarettes After Sex, Sepiatonic, Amanda Palmer, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Portland Cello Project, A Perfect Circle, Stabbing Westward, Slowdive, Lords of Acid, Lush, Poptone, Peter Hook, and some flamenco!

Authors I like: Haruki Murakami, Tom Robbins, Banana Yoshimoto, Hanif Kureshi, David Mitchell, Douglas Coupeland, Laini Taylor, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Lev Grossman.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Life is so amazing! Some memorable moments:
- Building a snowman in the middle of a snowstorm at Annapurna Base Camp.
- A picnic in the middle of SFO airport, complete with blanket, (disguised) beer, and burritos.
- The many many animals of the Galapagos.
- The bliss of dancing until I'm not tired anymore.
- The sheer beauty and diversity of landscapes in New Zealand. Walking the Milford, Routeburn, and Abel Tasman tracks, and Tongariro Crossing (volcano)
- Exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest: Crater Lake, Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood, Smith Rock

and there's a hell of a lot more to remember,
and more memories to be made...

visited 24 states (10.6%)

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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