Hi! I’m a Canadian living in Ontario. I’m a stay-at-home parent, married, with 3 children (9, 7 and 3). I homeschool all my kids and work from home. I work as a birth doula (providing support to expectant / new families) and doula trainer. I’m very active in the homeschooling community, where I currently lead a music co-op and a hiking club. We are a Catholic family, which means we go to church, accept/love people as they are, and try to help people whenever we can.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have faith in people! I love the idea of meeting new friends, sharing our homes and learning through travel. The best journeys happen when you get to know local people who can suggest going to the less well known places and can teach you things about their hometown.

Interests

• books
• outdoor activities
• history
• art
• outdoors
• parenting
• birth
• outdoor adventures
• history and culture

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - this small space isn’t enough. I love music! I can play piano, I lead a homeschool choir / music co-op. I have a passion for music history and ethnomusicology.

Movies - I love it when my favorite books are made into excellent movies. The Lord of the Rings, Life of Pi, Memoirs of a Geisha, Pride and Prejudice, etc. I’m a Harry Potter fan, but I think some of the movies could’ve been done better.

Books - In addition to those mentioned above, I love the Anne of Green Gables series, the Clan of the Cave Bear series, anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Diana Gabaldon, Jane Austen, John Steinbeck, C.S.Lewis

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived with a Tamang family in a rural village in Nepal while conducting ethnographic field research for my MA thesis. My research was on Tamang women, their work, labour migration aspirations and the cultural ideas about women/travel that affected women’s freedom of movement.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - I’ve lived in Ontario most of my life (either in the area around Newmarket or in Guelph) and know many places of interest. I’m well read on topics of anthropology, music, art, birth and the perinatal period. I’m happy to share what I know on any of those topics, if interested.

Learn - I always want to learn more about culture, history, biology, healthy / sustainable living

Share - we can share our home and property. We live just outside of town, so we have a lot of outdoor space. We can share produce from the garden (seasonal). My time is flexible, so I’m free to show ppl around. We have various memberships where we can bring in extra kids for free or get discounted admission for friends (Toronto Zoo, Wonderland, Museum of Nature in Ottawa / ROM, Guelph Civic Museum). I lead a weekly children’s hiking club and you’re welcome to join us.

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you’re comfortable with sharing your kitchen, I love to cook. I’m also a bit of a health nut, so I’m happy to share shopping tips, meal ideas and recipes. I have done First Aid / CPR training in the past. While I hope not to have to use those skills when traveling, it is something I can do if necessary.

I have 3 polite and charming children. They can provide some excitement and companionship for the children of hosting families.
They can also be put to work doing simple chores.

My husband, David, does not always come on adventures with us bc of work. When he’s with us, he is an equally good cook and excellent at bbqing. He also speaks several languages (English, Hindi, Konkani, a bit of Arabic) and is good at fixing broken things.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Germany, India, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Germany, Nepal