CURRENT MISSION

To live a good life and a merry one, be a pretty girl and an honest one, have a cold beer and another one!

ABOUT ME

My life has been shaped by the values instilled in me by my parents, both great people, and the experiences I have had while traveling. I am dedicated to a life filled with first and foremost LOVE. Through family and friends I find happiness & hope, and love to share great food and great wine along the way.

I value my family and the relationships with my friends above all others, and openly welcome opportunities to make more friends and build a bigger family. When I am not traveling, I spend my time on my farm in Sonoma County, California. I love to sing, write, read, bicycle, run, dance and laugh.

Wandering has become an addiction for me. I would love to travel with companions, but often I find myself exploring the globe alone, meeting more people and learning more about myself each time. One of the great things about what I do for a living is that there are so many places in the world that make wine, so I take the opportunities to work abroad and see what each country (and continent) has to offer.

I love to make wine and drink it, as I love to make food and eat it. To quote my sister, "life is for living, love is for making." I am most comfortable surrounded by living things; plants, animals, rivers, mountains. I love all of Mother Nature and get very uncomfortable if kept in the confines of a city for too long. I imagine that I will always work in an industry that lets me spend my time outdoors.

I visit other countries to learn what exists outside of the US, as American life sometimes lacks substance and meaning to me. Too many people in the US are caught up in materialism and capitalism, valuing money and objects more than love of life.

PHILOSOPHY

"Walk softly among the noise and haste," but know when to let loose and join the party!

One day at a time, one adventure at a time. Make it up as you go along.

We will learn to love everyone unconditionally, either in this life or the next.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am surfing, meeting and loving through CS. I have stayed on couches, met up with folks in foreign cities for drinks, dinners, karaoke and dancing and found its a great way to interact with your fellow wanderers. I have long since abandoned my fear or reluctance about the people I have met through this site, as each of them has been special and unique in their own way and allowed me to see a little more of humanity through their eyes.

I am making every effort to be a gracious surfer, and will welcome those who are wandering in Northern California to make my home your own.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Surfed, sang, danced, ate, drank, laughed, learned, shared.
CS is much more than the name suggests. It is less surfing than it is absorbing. If you are willing to be a sponge, the waters to soak up are rich and fulfilling.

Interests

Universal Love, Wine, Food, Travel, Music, Family, Friends, New People, Karaoke!, Beaches, Mountains, History, Science, Fields, Animals, People, Singing, Running, Bicycling, Triathlons, Vineyards, Vegetables, Flowers, Nature!

• animals
• singing
• dancing
• dining
• wine
• beer
• running
• partying
• drinking
• flowers
• traveling
• music
• karaoke
• outdoor activities
• surfing
• sailing
• history
• science
• beaches
• rivers
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Stand By Me, The Man From Snowy River, The Neverending Story, The Goonies, Elf, Kickass, Garden State, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Music: Kings of Leon, PNAU, Yelle, Mumford & Sons, Crystal Castles, Vampire Weekend, Feist, Tribe Called Quest, Andres Osborne, Ray LaMantagne, Goldfrapp, My Morning Jacket, The Killers, Muddy Waters, BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, Modest Mouse, Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Fat Freddy's Drop, Deadmau5, Bloody Beetroots, Florence + The Machine, Lykke Li, Outkast, Peter Bjorn & John, The Shins, Santigold, Sublime, Sufjan Stevens, The White Stripes

Books: The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, All the Pretty Horses, Timequake, The Slaughterhouse Five, Lord of the Flies, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, In Defense of Food, Big Trouble, Life of Pi, Farm City: Education of an Urban Farmer, anything by John Steinbeck, Chuck Palahniuk, Kurt Vonnegut or Michael Chabon

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Tony Bennett singing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" at Game 1 of the 2010 World Series, which the SF Giants went on to win. Still sends chills through my body and brings tears to my eyes.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia: Whitehaven Beach National Park, dove amongst the largest living coral reef and basked in the white sands of paradise.

Kaikoura, New Zealand: Watched as thousands of dolphins jumped and leaped in the waters off the beach at sunrise

Yosemite National Park, California, USA: Hiked 40 miles on the north rim of Yosemite, camped directly across from Half Dome and watched as the sun set on the sheer face of the monument, slept under the stars with those I love most

Teach, Learn, Share

Greet each day with graciousness. Every day that you are able to spend time with the ones you love is a blessing. Take time each day to make a mental checklist of all the things for which you are grateful.

When in doubt, remember that you are responsible for your own life, and that others may only help sway your tides but they cannot sail the ship for you.

I want to learn to be more fearless. In a world full of so many things that deserve to be feared, I wish to walk among them and feel only compassion.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, New Zealand, United States