CURRENT MISSION

My dream is to visit every country in the world. It's a lofty goal, I know, but dreams are free.

ABOUT ME

I never had a passport before 2001. I was 37 years old. Since then, I nearly filled every page of the first one and I'm working on my second. I whole-heartedly encourage people to travel and see the world. I'm fascinated by people and cultures and love to learn. I think it would be hard to find someone with a mind more open than mine!

PHILOSOPHY

1. You are my friend until you prove otherwise.
2. Life is too short and people are too interesting to dislike someone for what or to whom they pray, the color of their skin, or who they love.
3. Always learn to say "please" and "thank you" in the local language before visiting a place.
4. You can go anywhere as long as you can smile, point, and trust in the inherent goodness of people.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My cat allows me to live in his condo in South Florida. I currently have a housemate who has been one of my best friends and travel buddy for 23 years.

We all know that one of the greatest expenses of travel is lodging, so we do our best to help people explore the world by giving them a comfortable place to rest their bodies. All it costs is an entry in our guest book. I have made life-long friends by hosting people from all over the world. I consider being a member of this community to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My home is in Lauderdale Lakes, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. It’s about 5 miles to the beach.

I do have a few "house rules" of which you should be aware:
.. I ask that my guests do not use perfume or cologne in the house.
.. You may smoke as much as you like or whatever you like OUTSIDE the house.
.. This is NOT a vegetarian, gluten-free, organic household. I love to cook and I often feed my guests. Don't be picky!
.. Bigotry has no place in my home. See #1 in my Philosophy above. (One of my favorite experiences was a meal at my dining table with 6 people, 5 nationalities, 4 religions, 3 races, and 2 sexual orientations represented.)

Interests

The company I worked for in 2001 sent me to India for six months. Since then, I've been to numerous places in Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean and back to India on my own. I love to experience the sights, aromas and sounds of other places. Someone once said, "I can't stand people who wave their flag shouting that America is the greatest place in the world when they've never been outside of it." I couldn't agree more. I like to think of myself as a citizen of Earth.

• cats
• arts
• dining
• cooking
• shopping
• traveling

Music, Movies, and Books

I love movies and will watch anything with Judi Dench or Helen Mirren, Vin Diesel or Brad Pitt. My horrible little secret is that I loved "Barb Wire."

I'll listen to just about any music. I especially like Nina Simone, Alison Krauss, and The Smiths. I truly love some indie bands which you've probably never heard of.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

It is very rare to have a dream come true and have it turn out better than you expected. I had wanted to visit India since I was a teenager. I went when I was 37. While there, I got to camp at two tiger preserves, see the Taj Mahal twice, shop for spices in a centuries-old open-air market, sleep in a 500-year-old palace and wake to the cry of a peacock. I went there as a teacher and became a student.

Teach, Learn, Share

Just to be is to share. We'll figure out something more specific later.

What I Can Share with Hosts

At this time, I have never surfed. I've only been a host. I promise that, if I am in your home, I will use my experiences in hosting to be a good and kind guest.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Portugal, Turkey, United Kingdom, Virgin Islands, British

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, United States

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