CURRENT MISSION

Our mission is to meet awesome people and give back to the wonderful world of couch surfing

ABOUT ME

After graduating college we moved to Germany to work at a US run hotel as housekeepers for 13 months. During that year we traveled more than we could have ever imagined being able to. We made it to 28 countries. It was INCREDIBLE! We came back in March 2011.

We got married in September 2012 and LOVE IT! But sadly life of traveling to a new country every weekend is our life no more. We enjoy our jobs, but may wish we didn't have to work quite so much, so we could travel a bit more.

I (Emily) am plant-based, meaning I do not eat animal products. I am very health conscious, my BS degree was in Food and Nutrition. My BA degree was in Business and Marketing anther area I am interested in. I work at a Healthy Cooking Coach for Whole Foods Market a natural grocery store. I love to cook and enjoy making delicious food that is extremely healthy.

I (Ryan) love to work outside in the yard, build things out of wood, and look at architecture. I also love everything to do with the water. I am scuba diver certified and I enjoy wake boarding, swimming, and boating.

We were both track and field athletes in college and now miss the competition a lot. If you want to learn how to triple jump Emily can teach you. Or Ryan is talented in many areas because he was a decathlete. That means he did 10 different events over two days. Ask us and we can tell you more. We love track and field.

I (Emily) grew up in a town 20 minutes south of the Canadian border in Washington State and I think it is one of the best places on earth. Everyone should visit Bellingham before they die.

I (Ryan) grew up in Jackson Hole, WY home of the Teton Mountains. I enjoy telling Emily that where I grew up is better than where she grew up. Don't tell her, but I think they are both great places. :) But everyone should visit Jackson Hole someday too.

We tried to learn German to some degree while we live there, but never became proficient and I think what we knew has left us since we moved back to the US.

What else... we love to talk to people so we'd love to answer any questions you may have and also get to know you. I (Emily) am a lot more talkative than Ryan, but I'll tell you when he does talk he can have a great sense of humor and is a great listener.

PHILOSOPHY

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Be open minded to everyone and everything. Don't judge. Love people. Enjoy the world up close and personal. Don't be afraid to try new things.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We think couchsurfing is one of the best ideas ever! You get a better view of where you are traveling if you are staying with someone who lives there. Of course for those of us who have yet to plant a money tree saving money is also a plus, but we truly think meeting wonderful people who are also fellow travelers from such diverse backgrounds is incredibly rewarding and so priceless. Everyone we've met so far through CS has been wonderful.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Our couch surfing experience have been incredible. We have been blessed to have great hosts every time we've found someone to host us. It was especially rewarding meeting Ahmed and his whole family in Asilah. We will never forget their hospitality.

One thing that has been frustrating about CS is when people do not get back to you. It is understandable if people are busy, but if you could just give a response as soon as possible that helps so that people can look for other places to stay. For this reason we always will try to respond as soon as we can to people who want to stay with us.

Interests

Emily: I love to cook healthy-delicious food. I enjoy creating recipes. I also enjoy sharing my food with other people, but often feel so busy I am not in my own kitchen as much as I wish I could be. I also enjoy reading books about nutrition and learning as much as I can.

Ryan: I really like to work out. To be specific I like to lift weights, but right now I haven't been running very much. Like Emily I was a track and field athlete and in college I ran a lot more.

I also love wake boarding. When it is summertime I try to get in as much time on the water as I can.

A few summers back I also got certified to scuba dive. I went in Hawaii with my two brother-in-laws and loved it. I can't wait for Emily to get certified to take her.

I really enjoy working outside and landscaping. I have a small side business where I take care of a few people's lawns.

• animals
• books
• architecture
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• dieting
• running
• athlete
• coach
• working out
• boating
• reading
• traveling
• surfing
• scuba diving
• track and field
• swimming
• business
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

We enjoy all kinds of music. And we love finding new music, so we'd love to hear whatever you like.

We also enjoy movies although normally we watch them at home and don't go to the cinema.

Some of our favorites movies are V for Vendetta, Serendipity, Moulin Rouge, Prancer, The Count of Monte Cristo, Chocolate, Grease, Ratatouille, The Notebook, Napoleon Dynamite, Prefontaine, and many others.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Emily: The most amazing thing I've done was travel to India. Nothing has really compared to India...

Ryan: Competing 4 years in a row at the National Championships in the Decathlon was awesome.
And the scuba diving I have done has also been super cool.

Both: We spent 14 months living and working in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany. It was the best year of our lives. We traveled constantly and saw more of the world than we would have ever hoped to see.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you are interested in learning about the benefits of a plant-based diet we've got you covered. ;) Or if you want to learn to cook some plant-based meals we ca teach you some basic skills there as well.

I (Ryan) would love to teach you how to wake board.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States

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