CURRENT MISSION

It's good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

ABOUT ME

Ralph and Carah love each other, love to have fun, love to make friends, love to see the world and love to live life to its fullest.
Ralph is outgoing and humorous, while Carah is the shy one. Thankfully, we keep each other balanced. Both are very laid back and easy going. We met online (of all places) while only living about 30 minutes from each other in the Pacific Northwest (if you want the whole story, just ask). But since Ralph grew up in Orange County, and both of us lived in colder climates for far too long, we recently moved south and really enjoy all Orange has to offer. After six years of courting, we tied the knot in February and let me say, every day is still a honeymoon.

*Disclaimer*
We are in Orange County! Although it looks like we are pretty close to LA, that all depends on TRAFFIC! On a good day, driving to LA takes about 30-40 minutes. LAX is a good 45 minutes away. During most traffic hours, LA can be about 1.5-2 hours away. Just warning those of you who want to be near the LA proper or who don't have their own method of transportation.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is short, so enjoy every day like it's your last.

Don't get hung up on the small stuff.

To quote the great Shel Silverstein:
"I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We want to offer people the chance to learn about different places and cultures first hand. We also want to make friends with people that have similar interests, while exploring the world we live in.
Our recent move into a larger home has given us the ability to provide guests with a proper sleeping space, and we are ecstatic to share it!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Carah couchsurfed in Luton, GB and we have hosted several singles/couples so far. The first surf can be scary, but once you get a taste for couchsurfing, your life will never be the same because of the people you meet.

Interests

Photography, painting, quilting, cooking/baking (with cast iron), pickling and preserving everything edible, bike riding, hiking, anything associated with the sea, cars, history, restoring and using old things, eating "strange" things, traveling near and far...
Carah loves to make ATC's and trade them with people around the world.

• photography
• cooking
• baking
• traveling
• cars
• painting
• cycling
• hiking
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

Carah likes sci-fi, Ralph likes non-fiction. This applies to movies and books. Das Boot, Lost in Translation, Serenity, Pride & Prejudice, and Superbad makes an interesting mix of fav's. Anthony Bordaine, Three Sheets, Mythbusters, Firefly, food shows and traveling shows are amongst the favorite TV shows. We are both into culturally enticing music: Mariachi, Techno/Ambient, Chopin, Reggae and a few others will be heard on our stereo.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Carah: swam with stingrays at Nassau.
Ralph: was attacked by bald eagles in Dutch Harbor, AK; sailed around the world, as far north as the Arctic Circle and south as northern Chile.

Ralph and Carah have driven the whole West Coast of the US as far north as Vancouver, BC and as far south as Tiajuana, B.C., MEX.
We lived in Warsaw, Poland for one year.

Teach, Learn, Share

Sometimes we can become overwhelmed by all the bad things that happen all over the world. Some people even lose hope in humanity. However, the fact that there are wonderful and courageous people out there who open their doors and welcome strangers, for what-ever reasons, makes me believe all hope is not lost for the kindness and love that humans need to thrive on.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Poland, United States