CURRENT MISSION

To continue my life long learning journey.

ABOUT ME

I spent my senior year at university studying in Tokyo, where I met my future spouse, also studying abroad. A few years later we started a community development nonprofit in Spokane, WA, and worked together for 25 years. We have a 32 year old daughter who works for the UN in preserving biodiversity on our planet. I am a long distance backpacker and have hiked nearly 1700 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. I hope to complete the remaining nearly 1500 miles in this lifetime. I've taught swimming, canoeing, backpacking, plus intercultural communication at the MBA level and poetry writing at the grade school level. Over the years, I've facilitated close to 1000 groups, meetings, conferences, teams, etc. I love the Spokane, WA ecosystem where I live. I still have deep connections with Japan and have visited our host family many times. I feel deep connections with Europe, since my granny was born and raised in Schneeberg, Germany and my grandpa in Tynemouth, outside of Newcastle. On the other side, my great-granny was from Luxembourg and great-grandpa from Ettert, Belgium. The other "greats" on that side were from Germany. Europe feels like home to me, but then Japan does as well, in a very different way. I love sciences and mathematics and coached math teams for my daughter's schools. The world is so fascinating!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted several people and really enjoyed connecting with them. I hope to use someone else's couch some day. But informally, decades ago, I've met people while traveling and been invited to their homes, which was quite wonderful. I've also hosted friends of friends many times at my own home.

Interests

• writing
• poetry
• traveling
• hiking
• backpacking
• canoeing
• swimming
• mathematics
• hitchhiking

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

As a 20 year old, I spent 3 months in Europe with my childhood best friend, hitch-hiking all over, and staying in youth hostels, plus with relatives and friends. Including buying gifts for our families, we each spent only $325 for the entire time (not including airfare(.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States

• 

•