CURRENT MISSION
Exploring and listening.

Looking to connect with LGBTQ+ friendly local people.

JULY 2023 Update: Traveling to Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Łódź, Krakow, and Zakopane. I will be exploring my family's roots in Austria and Poland for the first time.
I'm looking for any input on travel guides or couch surfing friends who want to explore Jewish quarters, Holocaust remembrance sites, and specifically these locations where my grandmother was: Skarżysko Kamienna, Auschwitz, Szydlów, Stopnica, Tschenstochau, and Czestochowa. Also would love company to join me to balance this trip with fun, delicious food, swimming and dancing in each country, playing tennis, etc.

ABOUT ME

I like bringing people together, learning, trying to make some sense of this crazy world...I've been told that I'm caring, insightful, helpful, compassionate, curious, and talkative.

I'm an anti-bias, anti-racist special education teacher in New Jersey, USA. In Dec, 2022, I finished my master's degree of education in special education. I also am a petsitter and dog walker. I spend time volunteering with Food Not Bombs (#foodisarightnotaprivilege) and advocating for 2SLGBTQPIA+ students and families (#protecttranskids)

Before switching careers to become a teacher in 2015, I was the Community Health Education Coordinator at the Ithaca Free Clinic/Health Alliance in NY (#healthcareisaright). Prior to that, I was the Program Coordinator of Veterans' Sanctuary (a holistic, healing program for anti-war Iraq and Afghanistan veterans).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I couch surfed in 2009 in Burlington, Vermont during a break from college and I went to a couch surfing meet-up at a fun hookah spot in Australia.

In 2010, I couch surfed in Philmont, NY when I attended a work retreat, then along my road trip from NY to California, and attended a couch surfing potluck near San Francisco. I have met great people and hope to host surfers soon. I have met up with travelers for coffee and shared local information.

I hadn't used the app in a while and then returned in 2022 when I was traveling to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I was going to stay with someone on a reservation but we had to cancel our plans because of Covid 19. Hoping to use couch surfing and meet people on my upcoming trip!

Interests

Community projects and events, social justice, music, dancing, communication, swimming, playing tennis, walking around, cooking and potlucks, roadtrips, when the temperature is just right, tea time, sitting around a fire with good company.

• dancing
• cooking
• vegetarian
• walking
• music
• tennis
• swimming

Music, Movies, and Books

movies- La Vita è Bella (Life is Beauiful), Dirty Dancing, Goodwill Hunting, Requiem for a Dream

music- Erykah Badu, Midnite, Lauryn Hill, Sizzla, Sade, India Arie, Ani Difranco, Toots & the Maytals, Melanie's song- Lay Down (Candles in the rain)

book- Complementary/Alternative Therapies for Nursing Practices, poetry by Rupi Kaur

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Traveled in the West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territory, sometimes alone. It was the most amazing trip I've been on.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can help someone practice deep breathing exercises, play tennis, and make you dinner!

I would like to learn about what's going on in your neck of the woods.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Time, company, and I can cook or buy food out to share. I’m a pet sitter (in addition to being a teacher) so if you need help with your pets I can also help with your fur babies! 🐶😻

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin (French part), Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States