CURRENT MISSION

I enjoy learning about other cultures

ABOUT ME
I am now widowed since 2/16/22 and live in Apache Junction AZ.
I have been married 55 years; have 3 children; 4 grandchildren; and 9 greats. I am a retired grocery store clerk and bookkeeper. I closed my antique store July 26, 2008, but I still do flea markets and sell on Ebay and Etsy. I absolutely love to meet new people and see new places. I also appreciate Duluth more after being away. It is beautiful. Fall of 2008, I was hosted for the first time. I went to Hungary and Romania. I cannot describe to you the wonderful experience of getting to know the real people and the real countries, not just the touristy places. I am now a true believer in the CS experience. It is definitely not about a free place to stay. We are beginning a new lifestyle after working and raising a family. We are now official snowbirds since we purchased a small trailer in Apache Junction AZ and spend 7 months a year there.
And now, effective 9/1/15, we will be living in a camper in MN for 5 months a year and trailer in AZ. For 7 months. Definitely cannot host, but would love to meet you to show around town or share a meal! Update…..sold everything in Minnesota and permanently live in AZ

PHILOSOPHY

You only live once, so do it! winners make things happen, losers let things happen.
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am always happy to share what I know, or have learned the hard way. I have been to England (6 times) Czech Republic (5 times), Romania (12 times), Hungary (twice), Austria, Egypt and Jordan, Jamaica, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Bulgaria, Greece, France, Poland twice and Germany.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We hosted a couple of different members this summer and I had my first guest experience in Hungary, fall of 2008. As a couple, we had our first experience being guests in January 2009, on our way to Arizona.
Summer of 2009 we hosted some great people! In Thailand I met up with couchsurfers from the U.S. living there. I just attended my first couch surfing "event". It was Berlin 2014 for the 50s+group. I met a lot of wonderful people! And now in 2018, I shared a room on an 18 day cruise with one of them and met 2 more in France who spent the day with us. In 2018 I went to Lviv Ukraine and connected with a couch surf member who was a big help in showing me around town and using public transportation. In 2019 I shared a cruise cabin to Cuba with a cs member I had met in Berlin.

Interests

old architecture, other cultures, antiques, gardening, cooking, decorating, traveling, and people

• architecture
• cooking
• gardening
• traveling

Music, Movies, and Books

I like true stories-find it hard to waste my time on fiction unless there is a point to be made.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The most amazing thing I have done so far is to travel to Europe alone and "risked" meeting two total strangers. It may have been foolish or dangerous, but turned out to be a very good experience. If you trust others and trust in yourself, it will work out.

Teach, Learn, Share

I learned an atm is the best way to change money. I learned to always have 2 cards with me, as a machine once ate one. I learned to always plan on a little more time to get from point a to point b. I learned that people all over the world are wonderful!!!!

What I Can Share with Hosts

English
Cooking a meal

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Myanmar, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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