PLEASE GIVE ME AT LEAST TWO DAYS NOTICE TO REQUEST A STAY. I ONLY CHECK EMAIL ONCE OR TWICE A DAY AND I TRAVEL MOST WEEKENDS AND WON'T BE AVAILABLE. BEST DAYS TO STAY ARE MON-THURS.

Traveled to 69 countries, my goal is 100!
Lived in Asia for about four years teaching in a school for the deaf in the Philippines and teaching English in China.
Now married with grown children, it is time to begin traveling again and finding new places to live and teach.
When I am Stateside, I work as a CNA with hospice patients and in a nursing home. I also rehab houses for fun and turn them into rental properties for college students.
I'm an animal lover. We currently have six cats and one dog in two households.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

My travels tend to take me off the beaten path. It is really nice to have some local contacts to direct me where to find a local foods, or music, or just to have a local friend. Some of these people I have kept in contact with for over thirty years!

Interests

I enjoy visiting other Americans that live overseas. Not only do we speak the same language, but they can be a wonderful resource where to find impossible items (like yellow mustard!). Also, a visit from a friend from home can be very comforting to someone who has lived away for a long time.
I'm very independent. Give me a map and point me in the right direction and I can entertain myself with local museums, parks, castles, churches, and local street vendors.

• books
• folk music
• art history
• sightseeing
• expat community

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite music Stateside tends to be early rock, like the Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Elvis. Country, bluegrass, southern Gospel, Abba...easy listening. But when I travel, I want to experience the local flavor, be it a roudy pub or a steel band.
Books: I read about a book a week, usually murder-mysteries. Love Clive Cussler, John Grisham, and Lee Childs.
Movies: The Lord of the Rings remains my all-time favorite. Harry Potter was great (the books were better), and the Mission Impossible series is action-packed.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In every country, I make a game out of attempting to use every form of transporation available. Do the locals use taxis, buses, and subways? Or are they more geared to jeepneys and trikes? Or caraboa and camels? Elephants, anyone? Boats are included, of course. Ferries, houseboats, cruise ships. Don't forget planes, gliders, balloons (still missing a blimp). Trains are the best. Bullet trains scare me to death! Lol.

Watching Jurassic Park earlier. One of the characters said there are two kinds of people in the world. Astronomers and Astronauts. The first group likes to study the stars from the safety of their backyards. The Astronauts want to experience the stars first-hand. I am definitely an astronaut.

Teach, Learn, Share

I actually took a weekend some years ago and did the Franklin Planner workbook on coming up with a life motto. Mine is: "To live life as an adventure...full of passion, discovery, and learning...and to inspire others along the way." 30 years later, it still holds true.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, adventures, and encouragement to break out of their ruts and go explore!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Ecuador, Nigeria, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belize, China, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Philippines