ABOUT ME

People might say that I have a wide variety of interests and experiences. I have worked at a hospital for 31 years working in surgery, cardiology and geriatric counseling in the mental hospital. I am a mental health counselor since I was 21 and received my Bachelors in Psychology. I continued my education with a masters in Counseling and Guidance and obtained my second masters in 2000 in Criminology. In Lao I have taught Psychology at an International school and I have done some counseling for expats here attached to an NGO or with an embassy. I have also done some mentoring for graduate students working on their advanced degrees in counseling or psychology.
I owned and operated a bar/restaurant here in Vientiane for 3 years and in the US I have taught Kindergarten through Graduate school. My favorite students are Graduate students and kindergartners. My second favorite are all the rest in-between.
In the U.S. I hosted foreign exchange students who stayed with me for one year while going to high school. I hosted 12 from 11 different countries, Russia, Japan, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden, Thailand, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Germany, Denmark and 2 from Brazil.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Just thought it would be fun to host someone every now and then. I do not host often and ONLY HOST ONE PERSON AT A TIME. I am amazed by the number of requests I get from couples and even a group of 8! So please respect this and good luck in your travels. I love Lao very much and I enjoy sharing my little corner of it with my new friends.

Interests

The thing that always interests me about a place is the people. I am not that interested in things, such as monuments or parts of nature. The thing that will always take me back to a place is the people. This is why I am so very fond of Eastern Europe, Japan and Mexico and this is why I have made Laos my home for the last 14 years. The Lao people are so very kind and generous. I have always said that I will never be hungry and I will never be homeless because complete strangers have taken care of me. They are very Buddhist and show their kindness in so many ways.

• education
• teaching
• law
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

I like all kind of music with the exception of rap. I like all kinds of movies and I read all kinds of books, especially history and biographies. And of course, Harry Potter. In fact J.K. Rowling even dedicated her book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to me...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I don't know anything amazing I have done. But I can tell you that I have been part of thousands of amazing things in my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am a teacher of many years so I am usually in some teaching mode. Not just about Lao but anything that the young travelers may be curious about.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have never used CS as a traveler but I could offer something I am sure.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Laos, Mexico, Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Laos, United States