CURRENT MISSION

To find the Holy Grail. Or at least some cookies.

ABOUT ME

Californian by birth, Yankee by upbringing. I've lived in Boston since the turn of the century and love it enough to call it my home. I used to live in a four-bedroom apartment in Cambridge with a rotating cast of roommates from all over the world, including Cameroon, China, Columbia, and Korea. I try to get back to the San Francisco Bay Area every couple of years. Would love to meet some folks from the other end of the continent who also suffer from bicoastal disorder.

My partner Mark grew up just south of the city and is a dyed-in-the-wool Yankee. He is a nurse practitioner.

I'm interested in poetry, art, hiking, the ocean, design, and entrepreneurship.

My partner and I are both nonsmokers and would expect any guests to respect that while staying with us. What you do while you're out on the town is your business, of course.

PHILOSOPHY

Treat yourself and others with dignity and respect. Be open to possibilities.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm not currently an active member of couchsurfing.

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My partner and I have offered hosting to thoughtful people interested in visiting the Boston area. I also donated some cash to the folks who keep this website running. I've met some inspiring, dynamic women on the Independent Women board. In February 2011 I traveled to Northern California and stayed with some people I met here and through US Servas - with enough patience and planning, I was able to find a good host through this community.

Please note: If you'd like me to host, please give me plenty of notice. My calendar tends to fill up quickly and I have to coordinate things with my partner.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have met some wonderful people through Couch Surfing, including a woman in Petaluma, CA who emigrated to the USA during WWII. I have also hosted some lovely guests from around the world. Before I found this website, I also had the experience of living with roommates from around the world in Cambridge, MA.

Interests

Art, contemporary poetry, women's spirituality, architecture, travel, modern languages (I've studied French, Italian, Spanish, and Russian), technology, design, hiking.

• arts
• poetry
• architecture
• design
• dining
• running
• technology
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• surfing
• business
• entrepreneurship
• languages
• nursing

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Tales of a Female Nomad, The Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver), The Spiral Dance (Starhawk), Adrienne Rich's Poetry

Movies: I am Love, Battlestar Galactica, X-Men, 2 Days in Paris, Conversations with Other Women, Wallace & Gromet

Music: My tastes are pretty eclectic. I can enjoy just about any kind you can think of, with the possible exception of polka or elevator music. I do crave varietry, however. And I tend to gravitate toward indy rock (Vampire Weekend, Death Cab for Cutie, Sufjan Stevens) and classic rock (CSNY, Led Zeppelin, RUSH)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In February 2011 I stayed with an amazing 83-year-old woman active in this and other hospitality exchange programs. She still has the spinning wheel she used to earn money for food while she was in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam (went to school with Anne Frank). Our drive through the dairylands around Point Reyes and Tomales Bay, CA, was extra special because she was in the car with me to give each spot meaning. Standing naked on a cliff at the edge of the Pacific after driving there in my '78 Ford Maverick from New York was pretty cool. The sight of the monarch butterflies migrating to Santa Cruz is probably one of my favorite memories.In Montana, I'm pretty sure I met a bona fida angel disguised as a bartender. She grabbed a gas can out of her pickup truck and saved us from becoming stranded in the middle of nowhere.I also started a business with my own two hands and spit -- and a computer. Some people might find that kind of amazing. I know I did before I did it.

Teach, Learn, Share

The most meaningful work I've done involves fostering creative expression in myself and others. To that end I've hosted art salons, led and participated in Artist's Way groups, and organized and promoted reading series in a variety of settings.

I've also been involved in the pagan revival and the women's spirituality movement since the early 90s. Have led rituals and communities around those ideals and am a member of a UU church in Cambridge, MA.

I love learning about people from different places and walks of life. I've always wanted to travel more, but my pragmatic Capricorn nature kept me from taking those leaps of faith so necessary to the lifestyle of a world traveler. I'd like to learn how to travel in a manner that's sustainable (both in terms of money and impact) and that really allows me to make connections with different cultures and peoples -- not just their landmarks and tourist destinations.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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