CURRENT MISSION

Have fun and let go of expectations....be surprised

ABOUT ME

In 2008-2009 I moved to Czech Republic where I was the lucky grantee of a Fulbright Teacher Exchange. While living and working in CZ, a colleague turned me on to Couchsurfing. I used CS to meet and stay with people in many of the European cities i traveled to.

Now I am back in Bellingham, keeping my travels closer to home, but still getting out and around the NW , the Northern California coast, and British Columbia whenever I feel the need for a change of scenery.

Except for the year in CZ, I have lived in Bellingham since 1994. I am currently working as a high school science teacher. I am doing what I can to make it work to live and play in this beautiful place.

In my free time I like to mountain bike and ski, but you will also find me hiking, kayaking, and climbing. I love to be outside but also know how to relax. I have a nice garden for that- or when the weather is wet and rainy (as it often is here in the NW), a nice living room.

I work Monday-Friday, except in the summer of course! I do a lot of gardening in the summer and I like to grow my own vegetables and enjoy eating local, fresh food.

One thing to know though is that I also travel a lot in the summer- so if I do not respond right away I am most likely out somewhere in the mountains.

During the school year- I get up early for work, and in the winter I get up early to go skiing on the weekends.

On the whole though my "routine" is not a routine. It's flexible! Whenever I have guests I try to make sure they have a good time..I have bikes you can use to check out town and I'll definitely stay up late if we are having a good time or there is some cool show to check out here in town.

PHILOSOPHY

As far as I know, we only get one chance here on earth, so it is a good idea to enjoy it. Have fun and be nice.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Traveling can be different than being a tourist. Sometimes when I go somewhere new I'll spend more time chatting with people I've met than seeing the sights. But sometimes doing the tourist thing is okay too. Come to Bellingham for natural beauty and good food. I'll show you around and cook you something yummy.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

All of my experiences surfing in Europe and the US have been very positive- nice people and good conversation. Couchsurfing is such a great way to make your experience stay in your mind. Everyone I have met so far has been wonderful!

Interests

kayaking, skiing, mountains, books, music, cooking, gardening, eating good food, traveling, biking, meeting new people, seeing beautiful places, having fun, staying up late, going to bed early, coffee, wine, NW microbrews, cheese, learning, being local, eating local, the ocean, sleeping in, waking up for a powder day, Canada, friends, laughter...

• books
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• cheese
• coffee
• gardening
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• kayaking
• surfing
• skiing
• rock climbing
• teaching
• science
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Micmacs, City of God, 180 South, The North Face, Food Inc., The Cove, Away We Go, There Will Be Blood, Julie and Julia, African Queen, Winters Bone, Frozen River, An Education, The Way
Music: Indie
Books:Hafiz, David James Duncan, Barbara Kingsolver, Michael Pollan, Steinbeck, John Irving, Tom Robbins, Malcolm Gladwell

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent 18 Days on the Colorado River going through the Grand Canyon with 16 friends

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Czech Republic, Germany, United States

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