CURRENT MISSION

to forge new and meaningful connections wherever I go!! To make travel more real and personal.

ABOUT ME

***PLEASE READ BEFORE SENDING ME A REQUEST***

I only host people who are actually traveling, actually using CS as it was intended to be used, who have AT LEAST a few positive references and who are verified. I am open to hosting folks who are visiting the area to do workshops/classes etc, but I am unable to "host" people who don't meet this baseline. Thank you for respecting this.

I am an engaged, worldly, involved sort of person. I'm super involved in my Burning Man and West African Drum & Dance communities. This means I'm often *really* busy and not always widely available to visitors, but sometimes I am!! I've been a nurse (RN) for 18 years, working in both correctional and emergency medicine most of my career. I've been a direct entry midwife as well. I've been a professional artist in the past, working primarily in the medium of Batik (I do batik portraiture). I *love* to cook and am a big fan of well-prepared food. I've spent a lifetime studying West African drumming and dancing. I voraciously consume books, music, films, pop culture media, etc. I would describe myself as a communitarian. I've worked for years as a volunteer medic at giant events like Burning Man and the Oregon Country Fair. I am a Klown!! I've worked on cars. I'm a fan of the costume...

PHILOSOPHY

"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

George Bernard Shaw

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I make my space available and avail myself to other people's spaces in a connected, engaged way. My couch is primarily available when I'm not working, which is quite varied right now. My social calendar is often pretty full, which may make me more or less available personally to visiting surfers. If I'm around, however, I LOVE great conversation, sharing a cuppa tea, a meal, etc! It is probably useful to be a pretty self sufficient traveler so that you are able to entertain yourself if you catch me in a busy period.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have a lifetime of hosting guests at my house and staying in the homes of others. It's one of my favorite ways to get to know a city and it's people!

Interests

Excellent gourmet food! Art! Music! Burning Man! Oregon Country Fair! Human Rights! Travel! Dance! Books! My friends! My community! Social Justice! Klowns! Costumes! People! Alternative culture! Not necessarily in that order... ;-)

• arts
• culture
• books
• performing arts
• dancing
• human rights
• dining
• cooking
• movies
• traveling
• cars
• music
• communications
• history
• medicine
• nursing
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Hrm... sooooo many. Random list? Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Harry Potter, Barbara Kingsolver, LOTR, Beats Antique, Massive Attack, Mogwai, JASON WEBLEY!, Coco Rosie, late 60's, early 70's rock/psychedelia, West African, world beat, Bollywood, Portishead, Faith & Disease, historic Appalachian stuff, "Old Timey" music, Monsoon Wedding, Black Swan, Walkabout, Avatar, Born into Brothels, Endless Summer, The Dead Girl, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, This is England, etc, etc, etc!!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Um, I've actually been lucky enough to have done a whole lot of amazing things in my lifetime!! One example that stands out is that I got to go, witness and participate in an "ndep" ceremony in Senegal, W. Africa, which is a drumming for the mentally insane ceremony that lasts all day. It was intense and there was a lot of rolling around. I also got to go to the 50th annual Grammy Awards, sit 8 rows back and watch Tina Turner and Beyonce' perform Proud Mary with each other from 25' away.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to prepare for Burning Man! I can teach you how to cook. I know my city well (Seattle) and can give *lots* of great pointers. I have insight on things like being a mother, being a healer, being an artist and I love to share!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my experiences, history and interesting background with my hosts. I can prepare a fabulous meal!! And stories... lot's & lot's of stories... ;-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Senegal, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

• 

•