CURRENT MISSION

"To boldly go where no man has gone before". James T. Kirk, Captain of the Starship Enterprise (Star Trek 1967)

ABOUT ME

I, like my profile, am constantly evolving......

However, I am a Freelance Writer and I've been living and working, mainly in Ukraine, on and off for the last 19 years. I am not a vegetarian, I have no pets, I am a non-smoker and have no allergies that I know about, except Springtime allergies to pollen.

PHILOSOPHY

"In the long run, what people think of shepards and bakers becomes more important for them than following their own dreams and destinies"

"When you travel, you experience, in a very practical way the act of rebirth. You confront completely new situations, the day passes more slowly, many times you don't even understand the language people speak. So you are like a child in the womb. You begin to attach much more importance to the things around you because your survival depends upon them. You begin to become more accessible to others. And you accept any small favor from the gods with great delight, as if it were an episode you would remember for the rest of your life".

Paolo Coelho "The Alchemist".

Warum ich bei Couchsurfing bin

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I started a cycling tour around Europe beginning in March/April 2009 for 6 months. I had no real experience in long distance touring, except that I loved bike riding and had used it for my main source of transport when I went back to the USA visiting family. Unfortunately, I had to end my bike tour in Avignon, France. Since then I have been continuously traveling around with trips in Europe, Asia and now the USA. I enjoy slow travel (I've done the Camino de Santiago on foot, not once but TWICE!). I enjoy meeting new people, learning and trying new experiences. Although, I don't care to use Couchsurfing for accommodations, I do prefer to use it as a way to meet locals and other travelers in the places I visit.

I joined couchsurfing for the most part because I like to meeting locals during my travels. I enjoy the intercultural exchanges, learning something about the areas I'm traveling in, but most of all I like knowing more about the lives of those who live in the areas I travel to. I don't want to inconvenience anyone or freeload and I AM NOT looking for a free place to sleep. Again, my main objective for participating in the "Couchsurfing experience" is to meet people, have a coffee or a pint of beer and share experiences. ....

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

This is my first "Official" couchsurfing experience.

However, 20 years ago I was very fortunate to be invited to stay with someone in France whom I had met at a BBQ while on vacation there. A friend and I were staying in a local hotel. He kindly invited us to stay with him. He was living alone at the time and had plenty of room. At first the idea was strange, being invited to stay with a perfect stranger, but it was the beginning of a life long friendship. A few months later I hosted him and another friend from this same small town in Alsace when they came to the USA for a month. Great time!

Since then he's gotten married to wonderful woman and has had 3 children. I was honoured when I became the Godfather to his son. We are like family now.

Interessen

Travelling(of course), hiking, biking, weight-training, reading, cooking, good food, wine, conversation, parties, dancing, chatting over coffee and a good pint after a long day.

• writing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• coffee
• bbq
• running
• partying
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• survival
• cycling
• hiking
• teaching

Eine tolle Erfahrung, die ich gemacht habe

The Camino de Santiago. Hiking in Northern Italy and Switzerland. Biking from Alsace to Avignon, France.

Lehren, lernen, teilen

Since I'm a Freelance Writer and former English Teacher I would be happy to help anyone with their English. I was also an official Oral Examiner for some internationally recognized English exams like IELTS and the Cambridges UCLES Exams which are used for Immigration and University entrance requirements, so I could advise if needed. I've been living and working in Ukraine for the last 19 years, so I can share some of my experiences.

"When you teach, you learn".