CURRENT MISSION

To make meaningful connections with open, adventurous, interesting, kind people.

ABOUT ME

Born in Leicester, later lived in Kent, but after 12 years left and went to teach in Romania in 2007. Have lived on and off by the Lake District for the last 10 years and back there right now ....

I've traveled a fair bit, around lots of Europe, some of West Africa and also have toured some of the USA. Still lots more I want to do and see though! I love the opportunity to meet new people, and especially the type that predominate on CS!

I'm always up for trying new things and love exploring whenever, wherever and whatever! Meeting new people and cultures is always high on my list and I'm always up for learning, growing, and obviously I love to have fun, as we all do...

So I'm here feeling naturally drawn to open, friendly, independent, people who want to live a bit...

PHILOSOPHY

'The best things happen to those that make the best of the way things happen!'...

'If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got'...

Love and Kindness are pretty much the only things that really matter!...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm open to hosting and surfing...

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have hosted and surfed and met some fine people.... First became aware of CS, while travelling in France during the summer of 2011...met some people that only had good things to say about CS....so here I am!

Attended my first surf at Gathering in Glasgow 2012, had a great time and met some lovely people! Hosted a couple of people in the summer of 2012 too, but have been out of the loop since. That is due to change! :)

Interests

Things I love off the top of my head and in no particular order:

Sunrises; any live act played with passion, so gogol bordello is up there, as are lots of theatre and dance. I have tried and enjoyed ceroc and salsa too.

North Devon coastline; playing guitar, albeit poorly; being real close to a lightning storms; Aldous Huxley; Terrence Mkenna, Bleu d'Auvergne; special moments with friends; Jack Nicholson; being creative; deep connections with other human beings...

American Beauty; Fawlty Towers; mountain walking; open fires; hugs from loved ones, hugs from strangers; reading fine books; sleeping under the stars; any food cooked well; learning new stuff; being amazed; laughing til it hurts...

Bowie, Spiritualised, Hendrix, Dylan, Van Morrison ; Solondz's Happiness; traditional mountain climbing; Loweswater Gold; South West Ireland, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Lake District obviously ha; Joseph Arthur, the epicenter of Majorca ( you will have to ask me for more details on that one! ;)) ...

Good sense of humour, all kinds of birds, especially birds of prey and robins; people who have passion; those that can inspire me; art in general, including Picasso, Klimt, Bonnard, Escher, Modigliani, Van Gogh, Chagall, Dali, Klee, Rodin, Schiele etc etc etc

Altered states of consciousness; twilight; walking in the moonlight; films such as If, Midnight Cowboy, Trainspotting; anything that connects art, maths and nature; D'orsay museum; Johnny Depp, people that help me find something new; striving for something and achieving it; overcoming a fear; openess; sincerity; George Orwell;

'Sort of' dancing and listening to good music, house, techno, psytrance, rave, MGMT, chemical brothers, Florence, the Dead Weathers, Sigur Ros, and tons more

Jetskiing; all sorts of photography; any flower, especially fuscia's and lily's; the stillness in the air after a storm; sunsets; French culture and language; conversation; thinking; those people who find it easy just being themselves....

Enough for you?! :)

Music, Movies, and Books

See 'interests' above, but generally, I have seen, listened to, and read lots. Loads of stuff I haven't been near though, and to this end, I am open to any recommendations. I love finding new stuff like this! :)
other books that Ive read that spring to mind right now include:
Celestine Prophesy, Tao of Physics, power of now, What the bleep do we know, steppenwolf, brave new world, 1984, Jack Kerouac - On the Road, Aldous Huxley - Island, doors of perception..And last but not least, 'The Trial', but only to warn others not to read it! :)... Just finish New Earth by Ekhart Tolle...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Too many to list or choose but paragliding, parachuting, wild-camping...
Some Lake District climbs are right up there too! :)
AND AND AND
there is one almighty big big thing that I have done that I cannot even use adequate words or space to explain, so if you wanted to know more of that one, you will need to get me in a one on one conversation and remind me! :)

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm particularly interested to meet French speakers that are keen to exchange their language expertise in return for mine, as an English speaker.

Ive been slowly learning guitar for some years now, stunted of late, but would love to learn some more....

I actually teach maths, so could possibly help someone out there, but I cant really see that happening can you?! :)
Im a photographic artist too, specialising in photomontage....if you are interested, see:

Www.manicmontage.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/stephencrossphotography

I know my birds a bit too (mainly the feathered kind! ;)

I know the Lake District very well also; like where to climb, wild camp, scramble and walk...

I'm happy to share whatever I can, I know a little about lots and lots about little!... :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

All the above and more. Especially the love, because that is afterall, what it is all about? 😊.... x

Countries I’ve Lived In

Romania, United Kingdom