CURRENT MISSION

To find lovely places to nest while still living on the edge

ABOUT ME
I have a master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and have taught for 17 years, in the US, Latin America, Africa, and Spain. I love languages and have been lucky to travel to a number of places where two or more languages are spoken. I speak Spanish (proficient) and French (low intermediate) and have done language exchanges in Guatemala, Senegal, and Haiti. I also worked as an interpreter for medical teams in Guatemala and taught Spanish to extension workers in the US.
I'm a poster child for lifelong learning, having started Spanish at the age of 53 after a 35-year break and French at the age of 60. I earned my second master's degree when I was 59 and successfully completed my first Latin class last year.
I have gardened for a number of years, raised eight service dogs, and rescued cats and dogs and rehabbed squirrels. I worked in hotels and restaurants back in the day and am sure those skills are retrievable, especially after having raised a family.
In addition to teaching English, I am happy to help with household or inn chores, animal care, and gardening. I am available for house sitting, preferably including animal care. I very much enjoy caring for people's homes and pets and bring a good awareness of detail and aesthetic. I am also interested in land stewardship, especially water, birds, wildflowers, and pollinators.
I am committed to living lightly on the earth and have a meditation and yoga practice. I enjoy hanging out with people of different ages and am getting better at speaking clearly and with compassion.
I would very much like to find a situation where I can use my English skills in conjunction with learning more about birds and plants.

PHILOSOPHY

I live my life as consciously and lightly as I can, aspiring to have fewer possessions and more questions.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

For me one of the best parts of traveling is meeting people from all over the world and having the time for conversations to unfold. I hosted couch surfers in Rwanda, met most of my friends in Tunisia through Couch Surfing, and Couch Surfed in France, Spain and Portugal.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have had a few guests so far, and they were lovely. I have met great people in Guatemala and Tunisia who have helped me get sorted out and I have been able to return the favor as well. Last summer I surfed in France and met such lovely hosts, and I stayed with wonderful hosts when I came to Blacksburg.

Interests

I am interested in languages, reading, local food, service dogs, walking, biking, learning about other cultures, yoga, gardening.

• pets
• dogs
• dining
• walking
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• cycling
• surfing
• languages
• language exchange

Music, Movies, and Books

Quiet music, thought-provoking books. A Course in Miracles. Aging as a Spiritual Practice. Start Where You Are: A guide to compassionate living.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Went back to grad school at age 58, raised two remarkable daughters, and started studying Spanish and French in the past 15 years.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am really interested in language exchanges through conversation and participation in social change initiatives.

What I Can Share with Hosts

English, Spanish

Countries I’ve Visited

Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Colombia, Ecuador, England, Guatemala, Rwanda, Senegal, Spain, Tunisia, United States

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