CURRENT MISSION

"We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time."

ABOUT ME

Update 7/2/2018:
I just got married to Owen Mayhew in October of 2017. We have set up our life here in Brattleboro, VT and living in a rented apartment about a mile walk to downtown. I work in health care and have had various positions in practice management, project management, and consulting. I finished a Masters in Public Health from the University of Vermont. Owen is working as an engineer designing and troubleshooting control systems for steam turbines. He is interested in renewable energy in transportation and we bought an all electric vehicle last year.

For me, I love the outdoors, traveling, and adventure. In 2010 I backpacked 2,178 miles along the Appalachian Trail which runs from Georgia to Maine. When I have a dream, I make it happen. I use the mountain as a metaphor for my life; give me a challenge and I am ready to accomplish anything I set my sights on.

Following the AT I set my sights on visiting Patagonia in South America. I spent four months doing solo treks through various parts of Argentina and Chile. I spent time 'woofing' on several organic farms and doing work for stay. I skirted up through the continent and was able to visit Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Patagonia is astounding. Just to round off my trip I spent some time in California and hiked the John Muir Trail before heading back to the mountains and community I love the most here in Vermont.

I am an old soul.
I am a simple girl from the midwest.
I have a big heart with big dreams.

PHILOSOPHY

I think life is about appreciating beauty in simplicity. I want to live sustainably. I embrace literature, art, and other cultures. I am trying to build a lifestyle that shares these simple concepts with others. I would love to homestead one day; building our own home in the woods an having a place to grow our own food.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

My husband and I would like to start hosting more because for the first time in our lives we have a guest bedroom and live very close to town.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I love Couchsurfing! Oh my gosh. What a great way to get to know others and learn about other cultures. There is a certain magic that I have felt every time I stay or host with another Couchsurfer.

Interests

I cash in my time learning new skills by spending time with all the old folks in my community and volunteerism. Vermont is an outdoor playground. My husband Owen and I love to go mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, winter mountaineering, ice climbing, canoeing, snow shoeing, skiing, and rock climbing. We stay pretty busy throughout the year.

• arts
• literature
• beauty
• dining
• traveling
• homesteading
• magic
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• law
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, The Fool's Progress by Edward Abbey, and Possible Side Affects by Augusten Burroughs.

Music: Allman Brothers, Lotus, Rolling Stones, Thievery Corporation, The New Mastersounds, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Yonder Mountain String Band, Emancipator, Art Blakey. I have a record collection of over 300 vinyl... my love of music covers a very diverse breath of artists.

Shows: Peep Show, Arrested Development, Parks and Rec, Eastbound and Down, The Office, have all been past favorites. I really don't watch TV, the last 10 years I have not owned a television.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1. I completed the Appalachian Trail in 2010. The trail covers 13 states and over 2100 miles. It took me 6 and a half months to complete the journey.

2. I was in Lebanon during the Hezbollah Crisis in 2006. I had to be evacuated by the US Marines after experiencing 8 days of bombings by Israel. Over 1200 people died in this conflict that lasted 31 days.

Teach, Learn, Share

Camerado, I give you my hand!
I give you my love more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself? will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

Walt Whitman
From "Song of the Open Road"

What I Can Share with Hosts

I tell great stories. Owen can play the harmonica.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Iceland, Lebanon, Mexico, Peru

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States