CURRENT MISSION

Keep on walking. Find others to walk with me.

ABOUT ME

I am Valita and I cringe at any request to tell about myself. I hide from cameras. I get jazzed sharing ideas of living more independently, off the grid. I had a career as a carpenter before my nursing career. Now retired, I am back to working with my hands.
I love snorkeling more than any other activity and would like to participate in reef research in some way.

I am married to Kenneth Robison from Pico Rivera, CA. He is a retired sports writer and all around sports fan. We are opposites in many ways, but have managed to stay together for 45 years. We have one daughter, Rusty, who is a talented artist and graphic designer teaching at California State University Fresno California.

I am Ken, and I love being outdoors. I play golf, tennis and Pickleball (a tennis-like game with a paddle). I serve as Pickleball Ambassador in central California. I also read a lot and as a longtime newspaper reporter, I like to write. I wrote a book last year which was published. I also like to cook (sandwiches are my specialty) and I'm always seeking new recipes. We love to travel and have friends in Spain, France, Sweden and Switzerland. We have hosted many students in our home, including a Russian and a Saudi. We love having visitors. It enhances our lives. There is so much to see in our region of Central California.

PHILOSOPHY

Ken: I believe that human interaction -- family, friends and strangers -- is the key to life. I want to experience beauty and passion, whether it be on a mountaintop or on the soccer field. I want to feel something, to experience things outside my usual surroundings.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We believe that cultural understanding comes from
contact with other cultures--such as living together. We have hosted high school students through American Field Service, most of them for 10 months duration. They came from Thailand, France, Sweden, Spain, Russia, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan and many others for shorter periods. The richest part of my life has been from shared experiences with these students. They and their families became our family, too. Now I have French, Swiss, Thai/American and Swedish grandchildren. I no longer want to be committed to a year of high school schedule, but I think sharing my couch will bring some of this back into my life. I was so impressed with AFS volunteers. They are so open and generous. I expect Couch Surfing hosts to be of the same mindset. I'm looking forward to meeting you!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

What kinds of experiences have you had through CouchSurfing? We started by hosting Pamantha for two nights and it was a great experience. Since then we have hosted several times, and have enjoyed everyone who has been in our home.

Interests

What do you like to do in your free time?
Valita: I like to garden, travel and surf the web. Google Earth takes me everywhere. I read and play a few games on my iPad. I like watching birds and exploring.
Ken: I play golf, tennis and Pickleball (tennis-like game). I read a lot and watch sports on TV. I like my yard and hope to make it more attractive and low-maintenance. I have coached tennis and golf. I am interested in ideas, be they politics, religion/spirituality, movies/theater/music or food/cooking. Did I mention I love food. I like to cook.

• wildlife
• birds
• writing
• books
• theater
• design
• graphic design
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• walking
• gardening
• boating
• politics
• movies
• tv
• traveling
• watching sports
• music
• outdoor activities
• surfing
• snorkeling
• sports
• soccer
• tennis
• golf
• journalism
• nursing
• religion

Music, Movies, and Books

What do you like to watch, read, and listen to?
Valita: I like historical novels and murder mysteries. I admire non-fiction that looks at an issue or situation from all angles. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman and And the Band Played On, by Randy Shilts, and all of Deborah Blum's well researched books, starting with The Monkey Wars and The Poisoner's Handbook, recently made into a televised documentary. A book in one's hand shoos away frustration in all waiting situations. Having a good book to read is necessary to being a good guest and traveler. You are calm and content so your host knows that he has time to rest, collect his thoughts and maybe plan something really fun.
I told Pandora that I liked Steve Tibbitts, Bobby McFerrin, Bob Marley, Gipsy Kings, Tangerine Dream and The Doors and Pandora figured out what else I might like. I love it.
I enjoy movies that are filmed in places I would like to visit. Give me a good Indiana Jones or a Star Wars movie. I don't watch horror movies. I like National Geographic's amazing photographic work. Any nature movies.
Ken: I love watching sports for the drama and personality. A heart-breaking loss by my favorite team is as valuable as a championship moment, because it makes you feel, makes you care. I also like playing sports for the same reason. I read fiction mostly -- crime and intrigue, with interesting characters in compelling situations. My favorite authors at the moment are Michael Connelly, Robert Crais and Daniel Silva. My musical tastes run to blues, old rock 'n' roll, Irish, Latin and Western. I've never caught on to hip-hop. My taste in movies is usually intrigue, mystery and action. I'm more interested in character development than special effects.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Valita: We were I on an excursion ship out of Seward, Alaska touring the fjiords. The boat stopped at a steep mountainside that came down into the water. The naturalist said that this location was a good place to see wildlife. We could see a mother and baby mountain goat up the slope and a mother black bear and yearling were a little ways away down the hill. We had just spotted a second mother and baby goat down by the water. All the tourists were on this side of the boat watching when the mother bear came scrambling out of the underbrush up the hill and grabbed the baby goat. The mother goat butted the bear, but it was hopeless. Momma bear scurried away with her prize, not waiting for her young one and probably not sharing either. Time for junior to learn to fend for himself.
The reaction of the observers was a collective gasp. Nature in the raw was harsh, but I felt almost honored to witness the scene. Strangers experienced an intimacy born of a shared tragedy (or a tender meal). The naturalist said he had never seen this happen. It was a special but sad event.
At another time, I milked a beluga whale. I'll tell you more when you get here.

Teach, Learn, Share

We hope to travel and to learn about the world by experiencing it.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Virgin Islands, U.S.

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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