I'm 70, I've done a lot of travelling and hope to do more, still full of energy and curiosity. My university degree is in human culture. I love how diverse we are. I love meeting people, sharing ideas. I love meeting other members of my human family.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Even if I had the money for hotels I would prefer to 'live like a local'. For me, travelling is much more about broadening my horizons, than it is about seeing amazing things (though I do that too of course).

Interests

• culture
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

I like traditional music from all over the world. (I don't like jazz, hip hop or rap.) My favourite movie is Lindsey Anderson's O Lucky Man. Other favourite movies include The Godfather (1 and 2), Silence of the Lambs, Matilda, Fanny and Alexander, Adam and Paul... I am a Trekker! (Deep Space 9 is my favourite.) Apart from Trek, favourite TV series are Hill Street Blues, Colombo, Scrubs, Family Guy, Six Feet Under, Love/Hate, Game of Thrones... I read a LOT. Mostly novels. Dickens is my favourite author. Favourite modern novels, Star of the Sea (O'Connor) and Let the Right One In (Lindqvist). I like intelligent sci-fi, and I like reading novels that give me a 'feel' for different countries, cultures, time periods.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was 21 I applied to got accepted by a university in Poland, a country where I knew nobody and couldn't speak the language. I applied because I really wanted to study cultural anthropology but it wasn't on offer in Ireland at the time. I guess that was a pretty brave thing to do, especially because at the time the Cold War was on, and Poland was 'behind the Iron Curtain'. Everyone thought I was mad to go but of course life, and people, were quite normal there. I refuse to be afraid of people or countries (though I avoid war zones!)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can help with English, and I am a good cook, so those are two things I can teach. I like to learn as much as possible about real life in countries I visit.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can answer your questions about my country, Ireland (I am a qualified tour guide, so I know a lot about history etc.) and (to a lesser extent) about other countries I've visited. If you like, I can cook for you.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uzbekistan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ireland, Italy, Poland, Switzerland