CURRENT MISSION

To travel the world, experience all the cultures I can, and meet people from everywhere.

ABOUT ME

I've been a traveler, a couch borrower and couch hoster for a long time. Born/raised in New Jersey, lived 5 years in Boston, 2 years in Paris, 6 months near Tokyo, 3 months in Holland, and the rest of the time in Southern California. My husband, Morgan is a true Southern California boy - he also loves to travel, as well as surf, run and swim.

We go somewhere new every year - usually for 2-5 weeks, depending on what I can take off from work. I usually go to Lausanne, Switzerland for 2-3 weeks each year to do my piano show, so it's like a second home. (Je parle français aussi.) (E posso parlare un po' d'italiano. My mom is of Sicilian heritage...I have cousins there and have visited several times.)

Besides travel, I am crazy about good food, old architecture, history, music, movies, theatre, dance and watching figure skating and hockey. I'm very active in my community - my house is in the oldest historic district of Long Beach and I'm on the board of my neighborhood's heritage association. I'm also part of a French Meet-Up group - we hang out once a month to have coffee and practice French.

I love my job--I sing & play rock & roll at a sing-along "dueling piano bar" in Claremont, CA (and sometimes Las Vegas, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon). It's high-energy, goofy and fun, but I'm also exhausted on the weekend days after the show! Morgan is a chef, so if he wants to cook when he gets home from work, it's fantastic!

To unwind, I practice classical piano, do Pilates, ride my bike, watch movies, sit in my hot tub, fix up my house, and play with our two young and energetic little rescue pups, Chip and Junior.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is short - make the most of it!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My husband and I have hosted many travelers. I surfed on a couch in Morocco, and have met up with couchsurfers at local couchsurfing events.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I love learning things about other cultures, like learning how to samba from my Brazilian couch surfers, or eating delicious pasta carbonara that my Italian couchsurfers cooked, or learning what to buy in Morocco from my Moroccan couchsurfer.

Interests

Travel, music, dance (especially salsa & swing, but all kinds), all word games (Boggle, Scrabble, crossword puzzles--NERD!), fixing up my house and I'm trying to learn to love gardening. I don't love it yet, but I love when my garden looks good! I like exploring Southern California too - there are many places I haven't been to. Morgan and I both like going to movies, seeing theatre and stand-up comedy, checking out restaurants, having big parties with ridiculous themes. Morgan likes watching pro wrestling, I like watching figure skating, and we both love hockey (we are die-hard L.A. Kings fans). Go Kings!

• singing
• architecture
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• coffee
• pilates
• running
• partying
• gardening
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• puzzles
• music
• piano
• drums
• cycling
• wrestling
• hockey
• swimming
• history
• religion
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: comedies, foreign films, romances, dramas: The Hangover, Persuasion, Drop Dead Fred, Better Off Dead, Moonstruck, Amelie, Strictly Ballroom, Cinema Paradiso, Il Postino, Howard's End, Remains of the Day. Morgan has a big collection of anime and likes action movies (boys!).
Music: Crowded House, Imogen Heap, Jonatha Brooke, Jason Mraz, Nina Simone, Chet Baker, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, classical. Morgan is more into alternative music and Smashing Pumpkins.
Favorite authors & books: James Clavell, F. Scott Fitzgerald, David Sedaris. Loved Julia Child's My Life in France, and the Harry Potter books. Life of Pi, Kite Runner, Reading Lolita in Tehran, Three Cups of Tea, Middlesex, the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (fluff, but hilarious).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I traveled solo to Siwa Oasis--a 9-hour bus ride from Cairo. The women wear chadors that cover all but one eye. Very few tourists, fewer female tourists, and fewer unescorted! My hotel even sent a guy to meet me halfway through the bus ride just to escort me from the bus to the hotel. I stayed with another traveler out in the desert, sleeping by the dunes, when I heard music. Siwans can't play music in town - it's against their religion. So they go into the desert. I followed the sound of the drums, and found a group of jeeps with a bunch of Siwan men, and 4 travelers, who had apparently convinced them to come out to the desert that night for a little music party. They were shocked to see me come in from the desert, but they offered me tea and then we just danced in the moonlight.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love introducing Long Beach and southern California with folks who've never been here. There's a LOT to see and do here.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Music - if you have a piano I'll play it - lead a sing-along - whatever! Morgan will cook a delicious meal for us all! If you host us, you get dinner and a show!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Russian Federation, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, U.S., Wales, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, United States

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