I grew up in a suburb of the great city of Chicago, Illinois where I first heard blues and jazz music.

After a good 14 years in Minneapolis, I now live in the central Coast of California.

I have an older sister and a younger brother, and I'm an auntie to three nieces and a nephew.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love sharing stories, food, music, and good conversation with other well-travelled people who prefer substance to flash.

Interests

Singing, design, architecture, science, gardening, craft projects, fixing broken things, writing.

• cats
• writing
• singing
• architecture
• design
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• gardening
• drawing
• music
• live music
• jazz
• guitar
• piano
• blues
• science
• parks
• lakes
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Old blues, jazz, and torch songs

Dr Strangelove

Dr Zhivago, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A few years back I hiked 11 miles into the mountains of New Zealand to a hut with a natural hot springs, which I enjoyed under the endless stars with some wonderful fellow travelers.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to draw all of the chemical structures of 20 amino acids, and how to screw up DNA evidence - buahaha... (no really, I used to work with forensic scientists)

I want to learn to live beyond the expectations well-meaning people put on me at a young age. If you have advice on how to do this, I'm all ears.

I'll share my ears, eyes, and empathy.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Cooking, singing and a little guitar or piano playing.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Ireland