*** PLEASE BE AWARE: I do NOT host people on Couchsurfing because I want company. I love meeting new people but I host on Couchsurfing to simply help out travellers who need a place to stay - just as so many amazing hosts have helped me out, all over the world.

The vast majority of Couchsurfers understand this. But a very few act like they are doing me a favour by staying at my house. Believe me, they are NOT ;) If you think you will be doing me a favour by staying with me, please DO NOT request to stay at my house :) ***

IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY FRIENDS ETC TO MY HOUSE UNLESS THEY HAVE THEIR OWN (FULL) COUCHSURFING PROFILE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE ONLY JUST MET THEM. THANKS :)

CURRENT MISSION

Make my way back home when I learn to fly

ABOUT ME

UPDATE: Feb 2023 - I no longer work at the homeless shelter; it was challenging and rewarding but now I am free to travel a lot more; especially now the virus is not such a big thing ;)

UPDATE: Sept 2018 - Now I am working at a shelter for homeless people on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights; but I can still host Tuesdays to Fridays :))))

UPDATE: Oct 2015 - I have been adopted by a cat (Lil) who showed up here :) She is spoilt and rules this house! :D Lil has a nemesis called Big Fluff - he comes at night and tries to eat her food :O ;)

UPDATE: July 1, 2014 - Quit newspaper so back in Suffolk Coast area full-time again :)

UPDATE: May 28, 2013 - I now have a job at a newspaper around 100km away so I am away from my house Monday to Friday. But I can still host on Fridays (if you arrive after 8pm), Saturdays and Sundays :) BTW, I managed to see 11 different countries in my last spell of freedom :D

UPDATE: Mar 8, 2012 - I have quit my job and in two weeks I will be free to travel again! Yay! :D

UPDATE: I just got a job in a bar near my house - this should not affect CS, except I may have less time to show people around :) ...{also I've managed two weeks in Romania and a month in California in the five months I've worked there... :D}

I quit my job at a newspaper to travel in Aug 04 and bought a 400-year-old restored house in small town in the Suffolk countryside as a base. I'm trying to get to as many places as I can before I have to go back to work full-time. I can't believe I've lasted this long.

IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY FRIENDS ETC TO MY HOUSE UNLESS THEY HAVE THEIR OWN (FULL) COUCHSURFING PROFILE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE ONLY JUST MET THEM. THANKS :)

PHILOSOPHY

Like Earl Hickey, karma.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

If I can give fellow travellers a place to stay, that's great. And I'd be happy to show you round. And I have friends here u might like to meet... :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I often tell people the best thing on the internet is Couchsurfing.com - it never ceases to restore my faith in the basic kindness of people, not matter where they are in the world. It's something that brings us all together...

It may not always be possible to find a host (especially in the popular capital cities - although I managed to get two and a 'maybe' in Tokyo recently) but the people I meet through Couchsurfing (hosts and guests) have been tolerant, adventurous, kind and generous... long may it continue :)

Interests

All sports but mainly soccer (Ipswich Town FC and England), and I love to cycle; art (especially in Italy where it's on every street corner); backgammon (I got a fantastic inlaid wooden travel set in Dharamsala); also getting into gardens, especially those with jasmine (like mine) - the aroma reminds me of travelling...

• arts
• writing
• literature
• flying
• traveling
• cycling
• sports
• nature
• football
• chopin

Music, Movies, and Books

The Big Lebowski is my No1 movie with Office Space and Withnail and I way up there along with anything else by the Coens or Scorcese; 20th century literature (Carver, Kerouac, Bukowski, Orwell's journalism, Douglas Coupland - recently read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a remarkable book); all music (but recently mainly John Coltrane and Miles Davis, also Jacqueline du Pré and Americana like Josh Ritter); Chilis, Green Day, Ciba Matto etc... always loved Bran Van 3000.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

(i) I once danced shirtless with a belly dancer in a basement bar in Istanbul. Actually, that was more silly than amazing. The family of elephants I saw in the sun-drenched silence of the Masai Mara in Kenya was pretty amazing, though.

(ii) Fell into a traditional Japanese fire pit (slightly injured ;) at my friend's house in Yamagata prefecture (fire was out and it was pitch dark ;))

(iii) Got attacked by a pitbull while photographing a large, yellow butterfly in California in my shorts. ER bill was $6,400. Later made friends with Daz, the pitbull who attacked me (he belonged to the neighbours ;))

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a writer and I can also use systems like Quark Xpress to make newspapers/magazines etc.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel stories (!) ;) ...actually, I'll talk about anything :)))

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Vatican City State, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ireland, United Kingdom

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