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  • Last login almost 10 years ago

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Overview

  • 6 references 2 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English; learning Spanish, Spanish
  • 66, Female
  • Member since 2008
  • Grand Canyon River Guide
  • years of science and liberal arts college classes and rad...
  • From Moved 14 times before I was 20, born in Heidelberg Germany
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

learn, laugh and live life with grace and simplicity

ABOUT ME

I'm an adventurous soul and feel Ive led an exciting and fulfilling life. I grew up in a military family and spent my childhood moving....a lot! After I left home I kept up the tradition until the last 8 years. So the couch surfing idea is of great interest to me. Of late I have been slowing down a bit, as far as my traveling adventures and athletic endeavors go. I live in an area that I greatly enjoy for outdoor activities, that also has lots of clean air and inspiring vistas. I love Northern Arizona and all it has to offer.

I have been lucky to have worked as a river guide on the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon since 1981, something I wanted to do since i did my first trip in 1975 at age 17. I also guided in California, Costa Rica (for 4 winters) and in Chile. And sea kayak guiding in Baja. I have taught kayaking, rafting and Environmental perspectives for a private college in Arizona and spent my youth rafting, kayaking and exploring rivers and wild places about the West of North America. In the process, I did lots of traveling and hence lots of couch surfing before there was such a thing. Having spent a cumulative total of over 6 years at the bottom of the Grand Canyon,Id have to say it is one place I know best in the world. Its more home than any home, and I have much information I can share.

PHILOSOPHY

To live and experience life fully and to know when to slow down and enjoy the flow of time. To meet and learn from others and share what we each have to offer as humans on a fragile planet, where space and freedom is becoming limited, so freeing my mind and not imposing limits on what is offered, is where I want to go.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We will see? I just started with this interesting community. BTW, sometimes I don't check my email for 3 or 4 days, so its best to give me at least 1 week notice. Also, if you request a couch more than 6 weeks from date of interest, I often don't know if I will be in town either?

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None yet, unless you count the transient hobo lifestyle of my 20's,when I lived out of my car and a backpack.
I hope to host some interesting people and at some point stay with some myself.

Interests

Traveling, hiking, birdwatching, cross country skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking ,walking with my dogs, backpacking, rafting and kayaking. Observing nature and geology. Cooking healthy food and reading. Latest interests are road biking, snowshoeing and dog sledding.

  • dogs
  • books
  • folklore
  • beauty
  • dining
  • cooking
  • walking
  • reading
  • traveling
  • outdoor activities
  • cycling
  • hiking
  • backpacking
  • kayaking
  • surfing
  • skiing
  • snowboarding
  • snowshoeing
  • geology
  • tourism
  • rivers

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:The Milagro Beanfield War, Earth Abides, Catch Me if You Can, Trespassers on the Roof of the World, How to Be a Bad Birdwatcher, Angle of Repose, The Hobbit. I like most all natural history and true life adventure stories. I'm also sort of an armchair Arctic and Antarctic exploration/history enthusiast and enjoy epic travel/survival and sailing novels as well. I think Ive read almost every book in the local library in those categories. Some favorites are The Last Place on Earth, The Ice Master, In the Land of White Death, Shadows on the Koyukuk, Winter Dance

Movies: Rent lots of videos don't go to theater much anymore. Enjoyed Winged Migration, Crash, Chocolate

Music: Mostly I listen to NPR, but my boyfriend gave me an Ipod almost full of all types of music. Some favorites Greg Brown, Lucinda Williams, Leonard Cohen,Sarah Brightman

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Most dramatic - being in or at the Grand Canyon caressed by all its seasons and cloaked in all types of weather.
Most amazing - a huge, green fireball comet, that lit up the sky like green daylight and flew into the Pacific in Costa Rica.
Most rewarding - being fully in the moment, negotiating any rapid on every river Ive ever been on.
Most exciting - kayaking at 100,000cfs in the Grand Canyon.
Most novel - handling my own dog team and experiencing their enthusiasm.
Most gratifying - sharing my experiences and knowledge of the Grand Canyon with others
Most lucky - reconnecting in 2005 with my old boyfriend from 27 years ago. We do something fun atleast once every month, he lives in California

Teach, Learn, Share

Id like to learn about the places that other people live and I like to turn travelers on to the beauty of Northern Arizona.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Chile, Gibraltar, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, France, Germany, United States

Old School Badges

  • Pioneer Badge

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