Hilary Stern's Photo

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  • Last login almost 5 years ago

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Overview

  • 3 references 3 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English, Spanish; learning Ingush
  • 66, Female
  • Member since 2012
  • Social activist/ Labor organizer
  • Mostly from experience, but I also have an MA in Teaching...
  • From Seattle,WA
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

To learn from every person I meet.

ABOUT ME

I'm a single mother with a job that I am passionate about. I mostly spend my time working and raising my kids but I also love to travel and meet new people. Although since I have a lifetime of traveling and meeting people behind me, I usually travel to places where I have friends and stay with them. I'm reflective and smart, low maintenance, well-traveled, and a good cook.

PHILOSOPHY

"Who is the wise person? The one who can learn from every person." -- Pirke Avot (Sayings of the Fathers, a Jewish Text)
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (and women) do nothing." Edmund Burke

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I started out as a surfer and then started hosting. I really enjoy having the opportunity to meet travelers. I have also used it to get advice about a city I was traveling to. When I was in Barcelona this summer traveling with a friend I put out a general inquiry asking for a recommendation for a good vegetarian restaurant and then found an excellent one that wasn't in my guidebook.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've always loved to couch surf when I travel and love the opportunity to reciprocate. Before I knew about this website (and before this website existed) I found my hosts in my travels or by introductions before I left. My motivation of staying with others was first out of necessity -- to save money -- but the benefits were always much greater. I always felt like I got to know the place better if I could meet locals and share their lives. What better way to do that than staying at their houses?

Interests

I love to bicycle, read, watch movies, drink wine, eat good food and spend time with friends and family. But unfortunately, that's not how I spend most of my time. Most of my time is spent at work, doing good work that I believe in.

  • theater
  • dining
  • cooking
  • wine
  • vegetarian
  • walking
  • drinking
  • movies
  • traveling
  • socializing

Music, Movies, and Books

I love anything live. I love the energy from live music and am happiest when I am listening to music outdoors or even in a smoky bar. I usually like more independent art films that make me think; same with books. I notice good writing, and bad writing bothers me. So plot is not as important to me as ambiguity. I love movies and books that move me and leave me changed. With music, well, I guess all it takes is a really good bass line. No need for deep thoughts with music. I really don't even catch the lyrics on most songs.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I helped organize the marches calling for immigration reform, and I was awestruck when hundreds of thousands of people that I had never seen before walked in a steady stream from all directions to join the beginning of the march on April 25, 2006 in Seattle, WA. We expected 5 - 10K people and 25 -30K showed up. It was awe-inspiring.

Another moment would have to be walking around the desert with a bedouin boy my age outside of Arad, Israel in the early seventies under a night sky so bright that we could clearly see the sand dunes. He told me that if there was a movie theater there, he would invite me to the movies.

Teach, Learn, Share

If any couch surfers are interested in immigrant organizing, I would love to give you a tour of where I work. I work at Casa Latina, which is an immigrant worker center in Seattle affiliated with the labor movement.

Countries I’ve Visited

France, Mexico, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, Nicaragua, United States

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