CURRENT MISSION

To open my daughter's eyes to the diversity of the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

20 years ago, I traveled through Europe using a terrific network of fellow travelers called Global Freeloaders. Maybe that website and service still exist - I'll have to check sometime. My friends worried I wouldn't be safe, but it just seemed counter intuitive to me that people would open up their homes to travelers just to cause trouble. In the end, I had the most wonderful time staying in people's homes and getting to know them. I was treated better by those people than by any fancy hotel staff, and connecting real people to the places I was visiting made the culture come to life.

I haven't traveled abroad in a decade since I've gotten married and had a child. A few years ago, I joined Couchsurfing so people from anywhere in the world could stay in our home...and so that our daughter could be introduced to this notion of hospitality and openness towards other people. We've thoroughly enjoyed hosting those young, carefree singles who stopped by our house.

This summer we've saved up just enough money to go back to Europe as a family, and I'm hoping some Couchsurfers have settled down and had kids by now, and yet are still willing to participate in this community.

Interests

Jean-François, on the other hand, loves hockey, reading, wine, beer, and hanging out with friends. And Lara? She's already 8 years old and devoted to Minecraft, Star Wars, running, jumping, climbing trees, trampolines, Spy School and Bad Kitty books, silliness, giggling, and avoiding school and homework.

• interior design
• cycling
• arts and crafts
• needlepoint
• refinishing furniture
• i love ballet

Music, Movies, and Books

Lately, I'm loving Coeur de Pirate and Amelia Curran. We've been watching Once Upon a Time on Netflix as a family and loving it. I will add more later maybe.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Russian Federation, Thailand, Ukraine, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Latvia, Rwanda, Ukraine