In 2013 I took the opportunity to go on a dream and in the process I met wonderful friends and saw new places where I did new things. I started what turned out to be a near 6 month journey in the first 9 months of living with my boyfriend! And he's still here!

Life has prevented further travels, with a few short exceptions :D However ... ;)

I will be going to Maine with a special friend this summer! Thinking August ?

So 'Me' is really we:
Sue - 45 soon, artist/dreamer, volunteer, soon-student again
Reinaldo - wiser, professor/scientist, constant-student,
Sulphoria - the squirrel huntress
Pumpkin - the ultimate housecat
Cheetah - 'Whiney Boy' (need i elaborate?)
and a puppy I have not convinced anyone else of getting, yet.

Life plays games, this summer we have mostly free, minus doc appts and a few scouting drives for his geology labs' outings. Do you like science? Ask him stuff, he's that cool professor. Like art? Want to chat dead famous artists? I can't help you, he probably can; but if you have an interest in a variety of crafts, just ask, I share :) .

My friend SANNIE (a.k.a. Sandy), recommended I try to arrange some travel stops thru CouchSurfing, and having seen her success first hand with this group, I said 'You're right' ... and here I am. In 2012/2013 I journeyed thru Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee,Kentucky (from the road? it was a rough return lol), and Staten Island. Reinaldo has 'done his bucket quest' as he says; so just ask him about the years he spent in the field, climbing active volcanoes and scaring the natives!

2014 & 2015 - yea, so ...

2016 - heading to Maine in August, I believe.

I'd love to plan more big trips this summer, but life has me quite busy with those pesky details at the moment. I'm working toward more but for now I am excited to visit Maine!
Any advice on best places to visit on a long weekend - in Bangor and Bar Harbor areas is greatly appreciated! We are looking forwards to nature settings and easy hiking to fairly moderate. Obviously there will be Lobster Rolls involved - so who's the best? What's the best way to see Stephen Kings' house? Any King-related tourism stuff recommended? What's the name of the theater in Bar Harbor that serves dinner and beer in the movie? Any quirky, weird, off-the-beaten-path stuff to see along Rte 2 up to Bangor, then over to BH and back on 2 to go home?

Household quotes & inspired hopes :

"An ugly truth beats a beautiful lie, any day."

"Life is a giant school, we are meant to learn and the lessons repeated until we do learn them. "

"F'it, just f'it."

"Cheetah, stop." "Cheeeetahhhhhhh...."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

In the past I used CouchSurfing to travel most all of the East Coast US. Summer 2016 will include a trip to Maine, maybe more, maybe not. Life will tell.

"Once I have visited all 50 states and 9 territories, then I hope to journey onward to the rest of the planet Earth, the big blue marble I call home." - Me (2012)

That hope, dream and plan still exist - they just take a bit o' time and resources.

More from 2013 :

"I have in 2013 had the chance to stay with several people through CS and through friends ... every single experience has been great and I am always making new friends."

"I moved in 2013 from "the sticks" (out in the country where cows are the first thing you smell in the morning and coyotes are the last thing you hear at night) to "the big city (okay, Syracuse anyway - big for a country girl) and now there are whole new things to hear (like "the music of our people' as my boyfriend puts it - sirens)."

UPDATE: 5-23-16
Due to $$$ and medical issues - I have not had the chance to travel (any REAL adventure) since 2013. I am itchy to get on the move again, see more places and meet more people.

Interests

I am omni-curious!!! I love the outdoors, read anything with words, and some things without words. i love to learn and am currently trying to learn Spanish.

I am by nature an artist, and express myself in multiple arts, crafts and writing. I am an art therapy assistant volunteer at my local VA - so I passed a federal level investigation before being allowed to volunteer there - I love my no pay job.

Getting to know people is one of my biggest pleasures; and i love when new people introduce me to new things, foods, places and the like.

• animals
• birds
• arts
• writing
• theater
• photography
• beauty
• beer
• running
• drinking
• crafts
• flying
• traveling
• music
• outdoor activities
• fishing
• hiking
• rock climbing
• teaching
• geology
• science
• tourism
• volunteering
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

And I read, literally, anything I see with words when I get bored, so yeah lots of book genres that catch my fancy. I belong to Goodreads.com and I do book reviews of ARCs. Someday I just might finish one of the dozen novels I've been working on for a couple decades.

When it comes to music, nearly anything goes and usually just depends on my mood at the moment. I am still looking for rap I'll enjoy - since the last rap I actually liked was RunDMC. lol - yes i am 'ancient' as my kids put it.

I haven't owned or really watched TV in many years - but I do search out good BBC series on the internet ... so, yeah, I'm a Whovian!

UPDATE : 5-23-16 - we may be getting streaming tv soon! Gotta get my GoT time and catch up on season 5.

UPDATE : 5-28-16 - We have HBO NOW.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Childbirth has to be THE most amazing thing in my life and I did it 3 times! My children are now all grown and I'm a lucky grandma to 3!

This SECOND most amazing time in my life while I lived in North Carolina :
THIS experience is still the top unexpected thing in my lifetime. ... :)

It was mid August and I was a nest mom for the leatherback turtles' nests on Oak Island. For yet another night I sat alone on a beautiful beach, well past dark as the last of the drunken vacationers stumbled back to their rented seaside cottages and mansions. It was always more protecting nests from the humans than the ghost crabs and birds, sadly.

Just before the end of my 'shift' (how long the son and boyfriend were comfortable with me sitting in the dark alone) - I heard a schuffle to my left. The two nests I was anxiously awaiting to erupt with hatchlings were both silent to my right. As I peered intently to my left, half wondering if it was a person or just a small animal louder in the pitch dark - I saw something moving about 10 feet from me. I admit it, I jumped, but it didn't matter because a late arrival was laying her nest, and once a momma leatherback picks a nesting site - she IS going to nest there. Turtle's safety prevents flash photography during nesting, but over an hour and a half later I watched and photographed sans flash , with by then a group of a dozen tourists, as the turtle completed digging the nest, laid over 120 eggs and filled it back in meticulously, then returned to the sea. (MY PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF SCREEN : http://www.oakislandnc.com/recreation/sea_turtle.htm )

No sooner did the people leave and the nest immediately to the right of me erupted in hatchlings and for another stretch of time I was awestruck - as I guided hatchlings by flashlight to their fates in the ocean - it is truly a struggle for these creatures from the get-go!

I left Oak Island that very early morning, flying on cloud nine - struck by the beauty of nature. I joined my family who'd been fishing for the night on the Southport pier and was in for even more excitement.

As I walked out to the end of the pier where about 8 friends and family were fishing - my son, then 15, came running up to me - 'Mom, check this out - Randy has a stingray on the line' ...

I followed him in time to see the stingray brought onto the pier, then before anyone could get two Steve Irwin jokes out(no, offense, love ya dude) - the MOMMA stingray gave birth to 3 absolutely adorable, ghost like little creatures. One by one they were given a quick check and released into the water by our very experienced fishingmen/women. Momma followed soon after a delicate hook removal.

Nature will share her beauty with you if you respect her and if you get really - really lucky on the timing you could have an experience like this!!

Teach, Learn, Share

Hard work and hard play make for a happier, more fulfilled person.

You can not control others' actions, only your own reaction to them.

It is FAR CHEAPER to stay 2 nights at a hotel and fix your own car during a trip, than to tow home with AAA on the Fourth of July!! I only did it once! lesson learned, after $756.00 !!! (2 nights at hotel - $75 'special' and car part - $45, mechanics in vehicle - 3)

When you stop looking for Mr Right, he'll find you, and he'll encourage you in whatever makes you happy. Only took 41 years for me to figure that one out!! ;)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can be both humorus and sometimes serious; you may exhale your drink through your nose while we are chatting - just a warning, it happens,a lot.

I am curious and adventurous to practically no end (though med issues have ruled out some of my 'life list' .... so I just add newer , tamer adventures - but still on the move and ready to learn.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States