Hello! We are a growing family of 3 humans (Kory, Rachael, and Kibbe) and 2 dogs, expecting our second child, Oona, in October. We are hoping to take a family trip before she comes. We are looking primarily at the Southwest and New England. Dogs are staying home!

We live in Atlanta, Georgia and love all things outdoors. We value exposing our child(ren) to the gifts of nature and already hold many cherished memories outside with our son. When we aren’t wading through the Chattahoochee or enjoying the many green spaces in Atlanta, we might be exploring museums, taking roadtrips, playing board games, or watching documentaries and psychological thrillers (after Kibbe’s bedtime!).

Our day to day lives are pretty simple now that we are parents. Kory produces live events, working primarily remotely. Rachael stays home with Kibbe and works a child-friendly part-time position with a local nature school program. Kory hopes to shift into film production soon and ultimately write and direct his own films.

We have come to deeply value community building, and it’s a primary focus in our lives. Rachael, especially, holds a deep intention to move onto land with a number of other families, slow down, and build a culture of love and interdependence for our children. The hustle and bustle of Atlanta can be a lot for our nervous systems, and we are looking to build more local and secure systems in our lives as to not depend on so deeply on larger networks, such as global food networks or city electric etc. We aren’t quite homesteader material, and have no desire to try to make it alone, but having a small group of families dependent on one another for our basic needs sounds great.

We are deeply rooted in Appalachia and can’t imagine calling anywhere else home, but are eager to spend more and more of our time as a family traveling. Rachael has couchsurfed and volunteered on HelpX alongside traveling abroad alone a number of times, but Kory is new to Couchsurfing. We are hoping this feels like a feasible solution to accesible travel for our budding family and that we can raise compassionate and mindful children, exposed to a wide variety of people and experiences.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I’ve travelled in more traditional ways and through Couchsurfing, and I genuinely find Couchsurfing to be far more enjoyable and bring a lot of value to travel.

Interests

• animals
• photography
• cooking
• vegan
• reading
• traveling
• backpacking
• kayaking
• camping
• rock climbing
• astronomy
• philosophy
• physics
• mountains
• storytelling

Music, Movies, and Books

Music | Sigur Rós, Hozier, Jack Johnson, Kendrick Lamar

Favorite Movies | Mr. Nobody, The Matrix, Interstellar, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Pan's Labyrinth

Kory is a huge David Lynch fan!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I think unexpectedly swimming in an ocean full of bioluminescent plankton on a clear night with a new moon on the horizon definitely is at the top of the list. Unexpectedly and unpreparedly climbing Ben Nevis at 5am in fog that was so dense I couldn’t see the ground at my feet is also up there.

Teach, Learn, Share

I know a bit about a lots of things. Well versed in the edible and medicinal herbs of the Southest and have an extensive background in outdoor recreation. Kory and I both were whitewater raft guides once upon a time, and I’ve led a number of different outdoor recreation modalities- camping, backpacking, kayaking (don’t expect me to get on a river anytime soon!), rock climbing, and more, so I know my way around gear and such. My primary vocation has been in childcare and education and I’m a big fan of Waldorf and Rudolf Steiner in general based on what I know.

I would love to learn more languages, recipes, really anything you’re willing to teach!

I can share loads of travel misadventures.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, laughs, game nights. Kory enjoys cooking. Happy to bring along any recently foraged medicinals from our neck of the woods! (Probably Reishi if traveling soon!)

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Denmark, England, France, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Taiwan, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, United States