I grew up in the States, but moved to Japan soon after graduating from university. I never expected to stay more than a year, but I fell in love with the culture, language and lifestyle and now I've been more than 13 years.

Even as a kid I was very interested in far away places, country flags, maps and the idea of exploring the world - but my travels really began after I moved to Japan. As a teacher I was lucky enough to have school holidays which I could use for travel - and as most couchsurfers know, I'm sure - once you start you can't stop. As an English teacher, I was always eager to share my stories and experiences with my students to build awareness of the big, amazing world out there - and the role that the English language can play in helping you experience it.

A few years ago, I applied for and received my permanent residency visa for Japan, and afterwards I quit my teaching job and made a huge life change. I got married, moved to a small village in the mountains of northern Nagano, and now work with the village to help develop and promote tourism to the area in an effort to revitalize the local economy. It is a beautiful area with 3 ski areas, more than a dozen hot springs, and all the charm of a rural Japanese village.

As far as traveling goes, there is nowhere I don't want to go. I don't feel that I have been to as many places as a lot of people I know, but almost everywhere I have been, I've been able to stay a month or more. Someday soon I would love to embark on an extended around-the-world trip spanning months or years, and I would love to hear stories from those of you who have done or are doing trips like that.

I just really hope to explore as many places, and experience as much as I can on this amazing planet we call home... especially by making friends and sharing ideas with people from all over. It's precisely our differences that make us beautiful and interesting. I love experiencing and learning from different cultures, languages, and religions.

I love to inspire and be inspired.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've been completely inactive on couchsurfing (specifically hosting) the last few years, but I really would like to get back into it. Apologies to all those I haven't responded to during that time - I honestly haven't even checked my account in a long, long time.

I have stayed with couchsurfers all over, and hosted travelers from just as many countries and I have enjoyed it immensely.

Two of my really good friends here in Japan, I actually met through couchsurfing. One was my American host in Taipei. Another is a Brit I hosted when he was just traveling through Japan years ago. Both ended up moving to Japan, getting jobs in Nagoya and becoming part of my circle of close friends.

Another host of mine from Dahab, Egypt came to Japan a few years ago and I was able to host him followed by a climb together to the summit of Mt. Fuji. He later moved to Norway, and I had the privilege of being hosted by him yet again - this time in Oslo. ; )

Anyway, I'm in it for these types of crazy connections and friendships that make the world feel smaller, and for the unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, ideas and perspectives with fellow travelers.

Interests

I am obsessed with nature and the outdoors. I spend every opportunity I have in the mountains - either climbing up them (year round) or snowboarding down them (in the winter and spring). These days I also plan a lot of my traveling around long treks. I've done extended treks in northern India, Mongolia, Nepal, all throughout Japan, the U.S. (primarily Colorado), Iceland, Tasmania, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Morocco, etc...

I also love mountain biking, trail running, rock climbing, rafting, snowshoeing, building igloos and snow caves, scuba diving, camping, marathons, trail running...

I do enjoy other things too, I promise.

• culture
• beauty
• running
• walking
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• camping
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• snowboarding
• snowshoeing
• trail running
• rock climbing
• cartography
• teaching
• emergency services
• languages
• religion
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC:

• Ben Howard
• Benjamin Francis Leftwich
• Blackmill
• Counting Crows
• The Cure
• Third Eye Blind
• Incubus
• M83
• The Lumineers
• P.M. Dawn
• RADWIMPS (Japanese Band)
• Three Days Grace
• Weezer
• X Ambassadors...

BOOKS:

Mostly classic literature or non-fiction. To name a few:

• The Complete Works of Shakespeare
• "A Short History of Nearly Everything"
by Bill Bryson
• "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage"
by Alfred Lansing
• "Into the Wild"
by John Krakauer...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

• Walking a remote section of the Great Wall & having it to myself for 8+ hours
• Trekking across the vast steppes of central Mongolia for weeks and experiencing the incredible culture and hospitality of nomadic families, and experiencing their ancient way of life
• Being alone in a room and face-to-face w/ King Tut's golden funerary mask
• Watching the sunrise from the pinnacle of Japan -- the top of Mt. Fuji
• Zip-lining through the jungles of Laos and spending New Year's Eve in a tree house more than a hundred feet above the ground
• Island hopping, snorkeling and marveling at the beauty around Palwan, Philippines
• Exploring the temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia
• Gazing out over the Hong Kong skyline at night
• Watching the sunrise from atop the temple of Borobudur, Indonesia
• Riding waist-deep fresh powder in Hokkaido, Japan... on New Year's Eve... at exactly midnight... with a flaming torch in my hand
• Exploring southern Thailand amidst an active insurgency and being given a ride in a homemade armored police truck with 2 machine gun toting police officers
• Making friends and sharing tea and conversation with the Bedouin near Wadi Rum
• Hitching a ride with a group of 3 university students in Egypt, driving across barren desert on the way to climb Mt. Sinai while all of us sang along to Michael Jackson and Metallica songs at the top of our lungs
• Trekking to Everest Base Camp and watching the first sunrise of the new year come up behind the world's tallest peak
• Standing on the top of the Burj Khalifa, looking out at the desert and marveling at what mankind is capable of creating even in the most inhospitable places
• Driving along the Great Ocean Road and into the heart of Australia's Outback
• Seeing the Taj Mahal with my own eyes
• Traveling throughout Italy with my Italian great-grandmother who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1930's. It was her first and only trip back, and my first trip abroad... traveling with her through small cobblestone streets in untouristed towns in the mountainous north, knocking on the door of the house she was born in 83 years before, and being invited in by strangers who sat us down and proceeded to prepare a feast of extravagance to celebrate Grandma's return to the house of her birth-- was simply amazing.

Sorry, I totally cheated. That's definitely more than one. ; )

Teach, Learn, Share

I'll teach you Japanese!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Travel stories!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Egypt, England, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Norway, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States

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