CURRENT MISSION

To make as many friendships as I can around the world, to grow from my experiences and write about them

ABOUT ME

I'm an American travel writer based in Amsterdam, NL, with two grown kids. My daughter is a flight attendant based in Chicago; my son is an artist, now roaming around South America. I spent most of my life in Southern California and moved here because I fell in love with the city in 2007 after visiting my son, then studying in Florence, IT. I represent Afar.com as Local Expert/Amsterdam (http://www.afar.com/travelers/melissa-adams/), and am partnering with National Geographic on a new 48-hour Guide to Amsterdam, which means I scout the city's hottest restaurants, bars, museums and attractions. Couchsurfers are welcome to join me on these excursions.

I enjoy cultural exchange and sharing my passion for my adopted city with other creative, open-minded, fun-loving travelers. I require a comment on my blog, UnClogged in Amsterdam: An American Expat Plumbs Holland (www.uncloggedblog.com) of all CS guests.

PHILOSOPHY

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things" --Henry Miller

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well-preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!"

"When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life. It means fear is no longer a dominant factor in what you do and no longer prevents you from taking action to initiate change. If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness and creativity." Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

"Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained Angels." Hebrews 13:2

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I host travelers from around the world in my favorite city in it. Every day, I get MANY requests to host, but decline 90% because they're impersonal and from people who haven't read my profile, have minimal profiles themselves, and who just want free digs.

If you'd like to surf my couch, please send me a PERSONAL request NO MORE than 2 weeks before your visit (about 10 days before your arrival is perfect), indicating why you'd like to stay with me rather than all the other charming hosts in Amsterdam. Also, (this is IMPORTANT!) include CS profiles of EVERYONE you're bringing with you. If your friends can't take 10 minutes to create a CS profile, I don't have time to host them. Facebook doesn't count...no CS profile, no couch.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've surfed couches in Jerusalem, where I enjoyed the Sabbath with a couple; Vienna, where a university professor enlightened me; Paris, where a photographer entertained me; Helsinki, where I joined my host (naked!) in a Finnish sauna; Barcelona, where I devoured a tortilla patate cooked by my Catalan host, and Rotterdam, where I stayed at a landmark called the Portgebouw.

In Amsterdam, I've hosted guests from Holland, USA, England, Scotland, Mexico, Canada, Czech Republic, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, Brazil, Chile, China, South Korea, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Greece, Georgia, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Georgia, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Norway, Sweden, Austria, France, Finland, Poland, Germany, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and have more on the way.

Interests

Cultural exchange, reading, writing, FOOD, exploring, traveling, cats, the quirky Dutch, eating, drinking, growing flowers, chatting it up with friends & strangers.

• cats
• culture
• writing
• dining
• sauna
• drinking
• flowers
• reading
• traveling
• blogging
• business
• teaching
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Annie Hall, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, The White Tiger, The $100 Startup, James Taylor, Michael Crawford, Bob Dylan, Adele, Michael Tomlinson, Josh Groban, Indigo Girls, Famous Unknowns, Underscore Orchestra

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Got out of a Guatemalan jail after getting myself into one midway through a 3-month train trip through Mexico, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Long Island & across America with a guy who wanted to marry me. I broke his heart when I broke up with him after we returned ;-(.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can help people understand the expat experience in Holland and shamelessly plug my blog about Amsterdam + Dutch culture: www.uncloggedblog.com. I can also offer tips about the craft of writing, writing opportunities and the business of writing.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Aruba, Austria, Belgium, British Indian Ocean Territory, Canada, Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, United States

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