CURRENT MISSION

To stay as relatively happy as possible, to meet people and share some stories, smiles and put the world to rights :)

ABOUT ME

I live with my fat cat Judith in Brighton...

My little place by the sea is a small one-bedroom flat with a garden; if I am able to host you I can make a bed for you in the Living room - like camping indoors!

If I'm not able to host you I might be able to have you round for afternoon tea some evening in the week or at the weekend (with scones and jam and clotted cream and everything! :D ). Alternatively - lets meet in a pub/café and have a chat...or I could take you on a leisurely stroll along the promenade to Brighton Pier...just hit me up and I'll hopefully be available.

PHILOSOPHY

There's no point regretting things - and one of the greatest joys in realising you ARE in fact an adult is that while you may not have complete control over every aspect of your life - you do have the ability to affect how you see and experience it. So...smile, and see and experience it graciously :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I hope whilst living back in Ireland I extended a warm and friendly welcome to those in need of a crashing place, and showed the Irish tradition of welcoming whomever may need food and shelter is still as alive and kicking as ever.

I'm now back living in Brighton, UK and when I can, I still host people in my little flat.

I have lived in Donegal, Belfast and Galway in Ireland, and Brighton now for over eight years - so I'm sure some of what I know about other places might be useful to someone!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

While I have yet to couchsurf with other hosts myself through this website - I have done so through friends; through meeting people the hard way - i.e. randomly in new cities! - and through others' generosity - so I fully support an organisation such as this which allows everyone the same benefits of great conversation with people we may not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet.

Having hosted some amazing people, and have to say that CS is one of the most enriching experiences...and highly recommend it!!

Now...to SURF!!

Interests

This section always tends to go on and on and on! I'll try and keep it simple by listing the main things I love...

Art...Both making and viewing/experiencing it.

Film/Cinema...I can never get enough!

Documentaries...From Nature Documentaries; Sustainability; Alternative and Natural Architecture; Travel; History & Science docus, to Socio-Political/Economic documentaries (check out Adam Curtis if you haven't already!) ...I love 'em all!

Socialising...with good company, chatting and mulling over the world with a nice drink ...Hey, I'm Irish! It's in our genes!

Gardening! I love experiencing all aspects of nature and growing things, especially vegetables in my little garden, is a lovely way of doing this.

Exploring...the world is vast and magically inspiring. I want to jump in and see as much as I can.

• cats
• arts
• folklore
• architecture
• documentaries
• dining
• cooking
• drinking
• pub crawls
• gardening
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• camping
• scuba diving
• swimming
• history
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I confess to being rather addicted to films!

I love Lars Von Trier films, Wes Anderson films, Coen Bros. films, Michel Gondry films, Terence Malick films and such.
I also am a fan of documentaries, comedy (films or stand-up)& arthouse cinema.

Book-wise I love Kurt Vonnegut books, Paul Auster books, Chuck Palahniuk books, Ian McEwan Books, Brett Easton Ellis Books....etc etc etc...!

I love real stories told in exceptional ways.

I pretty much enjoy most music types...with a couple of exceptions ;)

My tastes vary from Jazz, 1920's swing and gypsy jazz, to ethereal modern musical soundscapes such as Sigur Rós, or Múm...from some stompin' 90's Detroit techno to classic funk...from 80's cheesy power ballads to 90's grunge...and even more inbetween.

I adore dancing and do so on a regular basis...be it whilst cooking, in a club or at a party - I'll be the one dancing.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I still have some things I want to tick off the list before I say which is the most amazing - but swimming in a beautiful waterfall up a mountain in northern Thailand and learning to scuba dive are up there with some of the best!

I pretty much believe that life is made up of many little amazingly wonderful things all strung together with a sprinkling of pain, confusion and intrigue to balance it all out. I guess you just have to take each as it comes and try to enjoy yourself along the way.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach something arty, or maybe cooking a new dish, some useless facts, and a little of what I've learned in my thirty+ years.

I can share smiles and laughs, friendship and Guinness appreciation skills :D

I hope to learn new viewpoints, experiences and maybe even make some new friendships.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have lived in Brighton now for over 8 years, so will hopefully be able to direct you to some of what it has on offer!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Hungary, Ireland, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Federation, Scotland, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ireland, United Kingdom