CURRENT MISSION

Mission? nothing as definate or sure as that. The question 'what is it all about?' keeps me engaged with life.

ABOUT ME

I have spent most of my working life in voluntary organisations (both local and national), in the field of information and advice. I left my job in Sep 08, and after a few months decided to go self employed, to use my skills and experience in providing tailor made development work on people as managers, and managers as people, delivering this through training,coaching, facilitation and consultancy (see http://www.lauracrichton.co.uk). Currently working with the British Red Cross, as a mentor for leaders of Social Enterprises, and as an Associate for Streets Alive, facilitating community cohesion through Street Parties and other neighbour events. I am independent, interested in personal development, friendly, open, patient, and artistic. I am fascinated by people's lives and experiences.

PHILOSOPHY

It's all a search - to understand, to find ways to be in relationship with others, to enjoy, to appreciate, to live fully, to learn.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I host, I meet up with other CS nearby, and also talk about /recommend it to friends & family. I feel inspired just reading about 'the kindness of strangers' and how they aren't strangers anymore! and this has been my experience too in hosting/surfing.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Hosted my first CS in October 08, and have hosted several people since then who like to see outside the main sights of London etc. So far I have only had one stay with a 'host'- all have been really good experiences.

Interests

Music - a big part of my life - not just as a guitar player, but as a listener - I love live concerts and listening at home (most recent live concerts were Mad Agnes, who are friends of mine over from the US playing a 6 week tour), Martin Simpson at Sidmouth Folk Festival (I was a volunteer steward for a very wet and muddy week there camping!), and the Police's last concert in Hyde Park, London in the summer.
Photography - my SLR camera has just died :( but one of my sisters gave me one she was given :) Love exhibitions (went to Annie Leibovitz exhib in London at New Year).
Live arts - visual art, sculpture, modern dance, photography, music, theatre.
Walking - holidays in the Appennine mountains in Northern Tuscany, mountains of Corsica, Dartmoor.
Friends, chat, laughs etc
Personal development, Buddhism
Gardens/gardening
Reading
Conversation
Travel
Islands

• arts
• photography
• concerts
• festivals
• dancing
• cooking
• walking
• partying
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• camping
• surfing
• buddhist
• emergency services
• volunteering
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Just too many to mention ...but a sample....
Film - independent, world, art - Man on Wire, Into the Wild, Poohs Heffalump Movie, The Piano, Lost in Translation, I've Loved you So Long, Don't Look Now, The English Patient, Kes, Kaos, Touching the Void, Etre et Avoir, Lives of Others, Tango Lesson, Ai No Corrida, Hidden, Le Coeur en Hiver, Cave of the Yellow Dog.
Music - eclectic mix of folk, classical, world ,rock & pop - Annie Lennox, Van Morrison, Jan Garbarek, Sting, June Tabor, Martin Simpson, Kathryn Tickell, Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, Snow Patrol, Leonard Cohen, Eva Cassidy, Eric Clapton, to start with....
Books - mostly fiction and personal development - just finished Walking in a Relaxed Manner, The Kite Runner, Into the Wild, and The Secret Life of Bees, and a fantastic present of a book of photgraphs of Andy Goldsworthy's work (Passage)- a treasured gift, as I just love his work.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Experienced the Eclipse of the sun from the top of a Tor (granite outcrop) on Dartmoor in 2000(?)and the amazing silence when it went dark.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach - cooking; knowledge of the local area, guitar
Learn - anything that I don't know!
Share - the local area, friends, my home, my generosity.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, United Kingdom

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