Please note that I changed my name to Zola in 2019 which is why my personal references say Samantha.

Although American by birth, I grew up in many different countries as the daughter of a diplomat and so grew to love traveling and other cultures.

I am a member of a spiritually liberal religion called Unitarian Universalist which is based on 7 principles such as the inherent worth and dignity of every being and the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.

Social justice is important to me so my professional work is that of community development.

I live by permaculture ethics which are earth care, people care, and fair share.

I enjoyed home educating my children for many years. They are now young adults.

I strive to enjoy a quality of life that is balanced and where I can be a whole, well-rounded person and therefore have the time and energy to be able to serve other people, my community, and steward the environment.

I enjoy doing crafts, working with colour, sewing, and doing creative activities. I enjoy doing activities outdoors such as swimming, trail walking, and gardening, biking, yoga, and dancing.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love getting to know a place through the people who live there and getting to know people by hanging out and doing things together. I am a cultural anthropologist and so fascinated by people, their cultures, and learning through participation in the local culture.

I have enjoyed being a host of many people throughout the years and hope I can bring the same joy to those that host me.

I am happiest when I can be in a place and contribute (to the home or surrounding community) so couch surfing offers me that opportunity to find where I can serve.

Interests

I am interested in many things--some listed below in the Teach/Share/Learn section.

I'm interested in the Transition Movement which is a Commons of practice and knowledge for more sustainable and resilient ways of living.

I am interested in the place where civil society and local government can meet to work together on better quality of life and environmental stewardship. Within the Transition Movement there are so many things I'm interested in such as localized economy, local food security, renewable energy, public transport, and more)

• culture
• singing
• design
• dancing
• environment
• ethics
• dining
• vegan
• yoga
• walking
• crafts
• gardening
• traveling
• homesteading
• music
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• swimming
• anthropology
• religion
• intentional communities
• compassionate communication
• housing
• community development

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy live music of all sorts but particularly folk, jazz, and cultural diverse music.

I enjoy documentaries and international films

I love books that can teach me and inspire me, about Sheros (female heros), and some novels such as those by Barbara Kingsolver and Tom Robbins.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have built my own home and permaculture gardens (with help from friends and visitors) and lived off-grid for 9 years and my 3-student homeschool won the provincial award in the national permaculture competition for schools hosted by Food & Trees for Africa.

Teach, Learn, Share

I really love to teach, learn about and share skills and knowledge on:

sustainable living

topics ranging from social justice, spirituality, cultural diversity, resilience, the environment, grass-roots development, alternative currency, and storytelling.

Facilitation of courses, workshops, and retreats as related to permaculture, sustainability, off-grid living, compassionate communication etc.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I enjoy healthy eating, cooking, and baking. I'm happy to share meal preparation.

I am vegan for ethical reasons.

I can play guitar a little and the recorder and djembe so if the host has instruments, I can add to merry music making. I enjoy singing and can teach many songs for singing around a campfire.

I love making a place look neater than when I arrived and giving hosts a sense that they can be on holiday in their own home so am happy to contribute to housework and yardwork.

I can share skills and knowledge as described in the paragraph above.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Ghana, Jordan, Madagascar, New Zealand, Russian Federation, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, United States