CURRENT MISSION

I am not starting a new chapter in my life; I am starting a whole new book! --the first chapter is called "Learning to Trust (Again) That the World is a Good Place"

ABOUT ME

Just trying to make my way through this mysterious thing called life. Every time I think I've figured something out, I realize I haven't!

I have tried many paths, none of them have seemed to be a very good fit so far, but I keep trying. Life is a journey, and I am a pilgrim on that path.

Been through so many changes in the past few years, I don't recognize myself sometimes, but when I think I've finally left some things behind I wanted to let go, I find them again and again.

As I strive to find and nurture my truest self (moving past the anger, the fear, the pain and unhealed wounds towards the centre), I guess work in progress seems to be the most accurate descriptive phrase on my curriculum vitae.

I have spent a long period of time stripping things off from my life and my psyche because life as I was living it was just not working. Now I moving back into a more social way of life, and lately I feel like I am seeing colours for the first time!

people have visited my page from these countries:

PHILOSOPHY

Givers Get More!

THERFORE: LEARN; TEACH; SHARE!

I believe strongly in the notion of social-entrepreneurship and will choose to support this kind of enterprise whenever possible or feasible.

I have a strong interest in volunteerism, philanthropy and generosity, and participate in or otherwise support causes I believe in whenever possible or feasible.

For example, I have donated blood in the following countries (to get to 10 is now my goal, just as to visit 100 countries is a goal):
donated blood in 3 countries (1.33%)
Create your own "did something in" map of The World

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have surfed, organized a meet-up, participated in pot-luck dinners, taken part in social outings, did the Camp Surf Michigan and the Chicago Couch Crash.

I also have become active on the boards of a few groups, learning and sharing as I am able, and whenever possible, I "sell" Couch Surfing to people I think would benefit from, and be a benefit to, the Couch Surfing community.

I hope to surf in China, the Philippines, and maybe some other east and south east Asian countries soon.

When I come back, I hope to social-host and show people things of interest in and around my city.

COUCH SURFING EXPERIENCE

I have surfed with the following people:
Eric Perry June 2010, Iowa, USA; Bridgett Barton June 2010, Missouri, USA; Ann_with_a_Plan July 2010, Michigan, USA; Lorie Ranker September 2010, Illinois, USA; Pamela Hsieh November 2010, Illinois, USA; Lucy Chen November 2010, Kansas, USA; Laurie Runge November 2010, Missouri, USAPI3141 November 2010, Texas, USA; Samantha Wiblitzhouser November 2010, Texas, USA; Nathanial Kuhn November 2010, Texas, USA; Adrian Santos November 2010, Oklahoma, USA; Donicia Habiling December 2010, LiaoNing, China; Jamie Mulholland December 2010, FuJian, China; CheFung Wu December 2010, FuJian, China; Moun Kosal February 2011, Siem Reap, Cambodia; Tomohiro Nakano March 2011, Hiroshima, Japan; Bridgette Patrona March 2011, Michigan, USA; Lando Garcia May 2011, Michigan, USA; Sappho Mullins May 2012, Ontario, Canada
I have hosted the following people:
Fred Hewitt October 2010, Ontario, Canada; Flore Stanescu October 2011, Ontario, Canada
I have travelled with the following people: Bridgette Patrona August 2010, Michigan, USA; September 2010, Illinois, USA; Ting Ting Ren October 2010, Ontario, Canada; Lucy Chen November 2010, 9 south-central states, USA; Alex Delespierre January 2011, remote northern villages (by motorcycle), Vietnam; Tomohiro Nakano March 2011, Shimane Prefecture (north of Hiroshima), Japan; Sappho Mullins May 2011, Detroit, Michigan, USA
I have attended the following special events: Almost Cut my Hair Potluck, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Camp Surf Michigan 2010, Manistee National Forest, MI, USA; Free Hugs in Detroit!, MI, USA; Chicago CouchCrash 2010!, IL, USA
I regularly attend the following events:monthly meet-ups, Windsor, ON, Canada; Detroit's Monthly Meetup, Detroit, MI, USA.3rd Sunday Potlucks, Detroit, MI, USA. I also often attend various gatherings organized in the Windsor/Detroit area.
I have surfed in Canada, the USA, the PR of China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Japan. [surfed in 9 USA states (18%) .surfed in 4 Chinese provinces (12%); surfed in 1 Canadian province (10%)]

兴趣

Obviously, two of my greatest interests are travelling and experiencing new cultures.

I enjoy getting behind the scenes and seeing how real people live, and think one of the best things about travelling to different places is the chance to try out a variety of food and share a meal with someone interesting.

I love just wandering around large market/shopping districts; for eg. the Khan el-Kalili Bazaar in Cairo, Egypt is an amazing place to explore, and I spent a lot of time wandering around the San-Bei District of Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.

I love nature, and even though I am not hardy enough to do serious back-country hiking, I like to find ways to get as far into it as I can.

I also really love to find corners of nature hidden inside cities - to experience the contrast between natural solitude and the hectic rush of urban life.

I prefer to travel by train over bus and plane, but I would most love to get a motorcycle and travel around China like I was able to do in North America (even though I know driving is much more dangerous there than here).

I like to take a lot of photographs, I write, I am committed to a life of learning, and have been practising meditation on a not-regular-enough basis for a couple of years now.

I have traveled in these countries (first map) plus Hong Kong (it is not listed separate from the rest of China on this app), including these provinces of Canada (second map), these states in the USA (third map): and these provinces/regions in PR of China (fourth map):

visited 12 countries (5.33%)

visited 9 provinces and 0 territories (69.2%)

visited 42 states (84%)
Create your own "visited" maps by clicking here.

visited 14 provinces/regions (42%)
Create your own "visited in China" map by clicking here.

• books
• causes
• philanthropy
• dining
• potluck
• meditation
• shopping
• traveling
• hiking
• camping
• surfing
• cartography
• entrepreneurship

音乐、电影和书籍

my musical tastes really vary based on my mood, and ranges from classical music (both western and eastern), folk, rock, or dance music, but very little in genres such as metal/grunge/punk or hip hop/rap.

my tastes in books is really varied as well; as an example, I have read and enjoyed all of these: 'The Little Prince' (by Antoine de Saint-Exupery); 'The Art of War' (by Sun Tzu -also know as Sun Zi); 'Three Cups of Tea' (by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin); 'Crime And Punishment' (by Fyodor Dostoevsky); and 'Living Buddha, Living Christ' (by Thich Nhat Hanh).

As for movies, you will no doubt be shocked to learn that my taste also casts a wide net, but I am probably most taken by movies that combine strong elements of humour, drama, and human passion and I am least interested in pure action flicks or movies just out to get cheap laughs.

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

The 2 most amazing things I have ever done both happened in 2010, and the effects continue to enrich my life in endless ways.
First, when my mother died in February of that year, I was privileged to hold her hand and ease her on her way.
Second, I went on a 4-month long walk-about, a process of going to the edge, turning around and falling backwards and letting the universe catch me. It did, in the most surprising way: as the year came to an end, I met my true love, the person with whom I will share the rest of my life (thank you CS, for being the tool that brought us together, btw!)

教，学，和分享

So far, I have learned 5 things in my life:

1 I know very little, next to nothing really; the more I learn, the more I know this is true.

2 This too shall pass; tides come in, tides go out, and so it shall be forever more.

3 It's just a thought/feeling/emotion; it's not reality.

4 Always remember to breathe! breathing in, I relax; breathing out, I smile.

5 Givers Get More; they really do!

我游览过的国家

Cambodia, Canada, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Palestine, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

我居住过的国家

Canada, China

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