I was born in Switzerland and have traveled nearly since birth. Since my family is scattered all over the world; in Brazil, Switzerland, the U.S. and Thailand, I have often circumnavigated the earth, thus doing extended roundabouts.

For years, I wrote about my travels in numerous publications until my son was diagnosed with aggressive leukemia in 1998. At the time we were living in Phuket, Thailand. He was 15, when he was diagnosed, and we immediately flew back home for his treatment in the U.S.. Thanks to an amazing team of doctors, and a cord marrow transplant, my son survived and is now working with the team of doctors who saved his life.

I don't think there is a word to describe how proud I am of both of my children. In the face of great suffering and unimaginable pain, they showed courage beyond anything that I have seen.

It would seem natural that after he survived and regained his health, that I would have been inspired to write more, but in fact the exact opposite happened. I went through bouts of inspiration but struggled with making sense of our mysterious world.

I don't believe there is a god, choosing which children will die, or live. So is it just random? I doubt that as well. When I was in the hospital with my son, one night I went to the chapel to pray to all the powers that be. I prayed to God, Allah, Buddha and to the great Universal Power, but I felt strange in this foreign place of worship. My "church" had always been within Nature, outside under a million stars.

My prayer for humankind is that we strive for peace. Within ourselves, within our families, our society and our world. This doesn't mean we can't disagree, it just means that we respect our differences and try to create less suffering.

Last night my son mentioned that I had changed. That I had given up my mission to save the world. I told him that nothing that I did really mattered. The tigers are nearly extinct, the Hmong refugees were sent back to Laos, the coral reefs are dying, the list is endless. He then asked me if I had watched The Cove yet. I told him that it would make me cry too much.

But I will watch it. Soon. And I will cry, I'm sure. Tonight we are going on a walk called Light The Night, to raise funds to help leukemia patients and research.

Our humble mission continues, and yes it does matter. And no, I haven't given up. I'm just trying a different route.

Namaste,

Prisana

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I first heard of Couchsurfing from my friends in Malibu, CA and was intrigued by their wonderful stories of their travels around the world, meeting so many kind and interesting hosts. Given the opportunity to meet the locals, makes traveling a much more enriching experience and when possible, I would like to also contribute to helping others in their quest to learn more about this amazing planet we all share.

Interests

Diving, Cycling, Photography, Skiing, Water-skiing, Tennis, Flying, Nature, Hmong Culture and History, Tigers and Human Rights.

Music, Movies, and Books

Life of Pi, The English Patient

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

On the Big Island of Hawaii, I saw 17 Manta Rays on an unforgettable night dive. In the Maldives, a manta ray "danced" with me for 25 minutes, rubbing the bottom of its belly on my head several times. I also snorkeled within mere inches of a Whale Shark.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, Myanmar, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Switzerland, Thailand