CURRENT MISSION

Travel to Unravel
Learning to Love the Questions
Releasing the need to figure out "the one true purpose" and just enjoy the thrill of being alive

ABOUT ME

I'm a 35-year-old born and bread Cape Town chick, figuring out how to live right way up in an upside down world. Staying true to myself and my journey on the planet as an artist, a writer, an insatiable creative and a hungry traveller while figuring out how to live abundantly with less of the material needs of life fuels me. I'm happily engaged to the most incredible man - whom I met at Afrika Burn 5 years ago - and finally, get to go on a great big adventure with.

For the currency of money I work as a freelance writer and content manager and in my spare time I paint miniature paintings (I did a 365 challenge in 2019 of painting one painting a day for the year - you can watch the story here if it interests you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-85YERBz9o) My primary organisation that I do regular work for is called Oceaneers. (we're all about raising awareness on reduction of eating meat - because to the oceans our food choices matter :)

For the currency of joy - I feed my soul with art and nature and to be honest, a life of "less stuff".

I'm literally interested in almost everything. I love cooking - especially for friends and family, baking - mostly German spicy things at Christmas, pottering around in my garden, meditation (vipassana - have been to several 10 day silent retreats) and also yoga (a 200h teacher - but not teaching anyone but myself ;p) and recycling like my life depends on it.

When I'm not at home reading, writing or tinkering about with odds and ends, I'm almost definitely hiking in our beautiful mountains or blissfully adrift in the salt and sand translations of my favourite beaches.

Travelling, learning new things, meeting new people and discovering new hidden gems are like sustenance to my hungry soul.

My partner Victor and I live together. He is a mushroom grower (all sorts) and carpenter with a beautiful knack of bringing out the magic of wood.

PHILOSOPHY

If you can make a difference you should.
Care and take care.
Never waste if you can help it.
Always let people and places in... it's the stuff that moulds the soul.
Try to find humour in annoying situations. (It incidentally makes for excellent writing)
Make, mend and grow as much as you can from scratch - it's the trick to appreciating the details in life.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Most of my travelling in America was done via Couchsurfing and it is by far the most fantastic way of networking with like-minded people and becoming part of a city's real grit and beauty! It still blows my mind now when I think about how simple and trust-encouraging it is. The towns I couch-surfed in are ingrained in my memory forever and were also the cities that I truly connected with!

I've met some of my best friends by hosting people - couch surfing connections are surreal and beautiful and I can't wait to share this way of travelling with my partner now on our Europe trip in between visits with friends and family.

There is nothing that a guide book, lonely planet or TripAdvisor can give you better than sharing time and trust with a human you've never met only to rejoice in all the ways you a similar and all that you can learn from each other.

Interests

In brief..

an enthralling conversation; gardening, mending things, turning old into new, walking in nature, collecting strange nature finds, painting, diy (big time) mural painting, cooking - especially tasty indonesion nasi goreng, vietnamese Pho, or vegetarian lasagna
… also yoga, meditation, anything spiritual living and holistic, environmental innovation trends, farming and homesteading life…

Mad about our cats, Bali and Satya, also… donkeys

• birds
• arts
• writing
• books
• beauty
• concerts
• dining
• cooking
• coffee
• baking
• yoga
• gardening
• reading
• traveling
• painting
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• surfing
• swimming
• beaches
• parks
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Too much too much..

But where books and movies are concerned, anything about travel, food and colourful adventure, a lesson learned and a likable, brave character. But the writing - a book where writing doesn't sound written, where words are just the beads of a story - those are the ones I read as slowly as possible - savouring every sentence.

On the music front, an infectious melody, a good beat and some lyrics with thought can go on my ever expanding playlist any day.

All time favourite - Fleetwood Mac and The Travelling Wilburries. But also, Gregory Alan Isokov for rainy day painting or Colter Wall for road trips.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Every day in Cape Town is amazing - really takes your breath away..

Swimming with dolphins in Cape St Francis is still one of my ultimate highlights. Travelling to Bali to put my grandfather's ashes to rest in a volcanic caldera. Swimming with manta rays. Eating street food with the locals in Nusa Dua, Bali. Working at the month long Christmas market in Chicago (did this 5 times). Going to the Eagles concert at the Cape Town Stadium with my mum. Being brave enough to end a destructive relationship and fall in love with my best friend.

Teach, Learn, Share

Would love to learn :
circular breathing on the didge (i can play but not that well)
always more Spanish
and also your favourite meal.

I can teach you how to make beautiful pancakes, my Ouma's rusks, how to do a head stand or crow pose without hurting yourself, share any story you're interested in hearing (like painting every day for a year) teach you how to wolf whistle super loud and all the South African slang I know.

I'd also love to share the best ice cream in Cape Town with you:) Hint: It's in Hout Bay.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My cooking, my love of organising, best things to do in cape town, and really anything you want to know about me…

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mozambique, Oman, South Africa, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, South Africa, United States

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