CURRENT MISSION

Expand my horizons and meet interesting people

ABOUT ME

We recently moved to Katoomba to get more involved in the local community and the vipassana meditation centre. My partner, Bob, and I live here in a beautiful house with a wonderful little dog called Spook who is very friendly. We are older (I'm in my 50's, Bob's in his 60's) but we like to be active. I like bushwalking and that's great because there's tons to do here in the Blue Mountains. Bob enjoys golf and is involved in the local Rural Fire Service as a volunteer fire fighter. I also fight fires when they arise. Bob likes to builds things with wood (he's a carpenter) and I'm a nurse at the local hospital.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe we should do all we can not to harm others. I am left-wing in political ideology and, although I practice a meditation technique practised by Buddha, I am not a Buddhist. Don't worry, I don't shove the meditation stuff down anyone's throat though! I believe we should all love life and make the most of what we've got.

Pourquoi je suis sur Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Have hosted quite a few people and have been hosted by some of them when we visited their countries. They were just great!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far the experience has been mostly great. Have met some really interesting, self sufficient, considerate and joyful people. Have had a couple of CSers who seemed to use couch surfing as just a free nights accommodation with free food and expected to be waited upon. Not too keen on people like this. Opening your home to new people is not just about tending to their needs so appreciate people who come with a positive can-do attitude and use the experience as an opportunity to get to know one another and explore shared interests.

Centres d'intérêt

Vipassana meditation, Rural Fire Service, bushwalking, cooking, dancing (salsa), golf, reading, chickens and organic/permaculture gardening.

• dogs
• chickens
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• meditation
• gardening
• reading
• surfing
• golf
• nursing
• volunteering
• mountains

Morceaux de musique, films et livres

Music - most but not heavy metal. Movies - Quentin Tarantino movies, all sorts really. Books - too many to mention - some novels, some not but LOVED The Book Thief.

Une aventure extraordinaire que j'ai vécue

Spending 4 months in India and working as a WWOOFer on an aloe vera and date farm in Western Gujarat was a total blast. I became close friends with the wife of the manager despite our not having a common spoken language. Amazing how communication does not rely on words!Also, being present when a patient dies, quietly and with dignity. I have felt honoured. Also, bushwalking in the amazing Grosse Valley.

Enseignez, apprenez, partagez

Love to learn about, and to teach organic gardening and about the bush. Same goes for swapping recipes. Happy to show you (if I have the time) or suggest good places for bushwalking locally. Also happy to discuss Vipassana Meditation for anyone interested in learning about this technique.

Pays que j'ai visités

Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom

Pays dans lesquels j'ai vécu

Australia

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