For those who don’t know, I run a bed & breakfast out of my home- mostly using the airbnb platform. My hosting experiences started when I learned about Couchsurfing back in 2008. I loved the concept behind it, and began using that platform to host travelers. A few years later, it was a Couchsurfer named Nanina who introduced me to Airbnb, HelpX and Workaway. Using all four platforms, I’ve had the pleasure of hosting over 300 people (individuals, couples and families) over the last decade.
What began as a fun way to meet people became a fledgling business that has allowed me to make friends from across the country and around the world. Thanks to technology, I am able to stay in contact with them using text messages, Facebook, WhatsApp, emails and phone calls. (There’s even the occasional letter by mail!)
There is no doubt I have been blessed on every level with my home-sharing, and one of the best parts of hosting is having the chance to sit down and REALLY talk with my guests, and it is even better when guests from the different groups staying with me “click” with each other. Here is a small glimpse into a recent evening of conversation with guests…
Welcome to Animal Planet at Sheli’s!
What happens when you set an epidemiologist, a geneticist, an environmental scientist, a freelance writer and me down at my kitchen table for casual conversation?
For starters, my world opens a little wider…
I can’t even remember HOW the conversation got started, or how it landed on Blobfish, but that is as good a place too start as any.
First, I was introduced to Blobfish, which, when brought up to the surface, looks like a grumpy old man.
While weird and wonderful, the Blobfish was just the first in an evening full of the wonders of the animal kingdom.
Members of the group sharing their fun facts about the different (and fascinating) animals on our planet…
Next came freshwater eels. Cecilia (the freelance writer) was excited to share her research about the ongoing mystery behind freshwater eel reproduction.
Jeopardy question: How do freshwater eels breed?
It’s ok that you don’t know. Join the rest of the world- we don’t know, either.
In a TED Talk, zoologist Lucy Cooke states that the life of the freshwater eel begins in the Bermuda Triangle. After their birth, they make their way to continental waters. Beyond that, we don’t know much, especially about their reproduction. In fact, the lack of data that researchers have on freshwater eel reproduction is well-documented.
The reproductive stages of their lives are mysterious because researchers have been unable to find their breeding grounds. According to Cook, we “still haven’t observed mating in the wild, or found a single eel egg.”
Cooke said the leading theory of eel reproduction is that they reproduce by external fertilization, in which clouds of sperm fertilize free-floating eggs. Theoretical, but not proven…
Next was Beefalo…. Yes, Beefalo, as in, what you get when you breed a cow and a bison. Yes, beefalo is a real thing…. I didn’t believe Aaron (the geneticist) when he told me, so I had to google it (of course).
Here’s a short (but amusing) story about a beefalo that went on the run in Plymouth, back in 2020.
The creepiest animal discussed that night was… a squid. Yup, a squid. But not just ANY squid.
I give you, the BigFin Squid. I am sure this is just a big government cover-up to hide the fact that there are extra-terrestrial life forms living in our ocean.
If you want to give your children nightmares, show them this video.
After watching that, if you don’t agree that this alleged “squid” is really some sort of alien creature disguised as sea life… well, then, you have no imagination!
I went back to google to learn more…. The Bigfin squid (scientific name Magnapinna) are known for their long arms and tentacles and can measure over 20 feet in length. Found thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface, these elusive creatures have only had about a dozen confirmed sightings worldwide.
Just like alien sightings… very few confirmed. Coincidence? I think not…
What creature has the fastest punch on the planet? If you watched the same cartoons I did as a child, your answer *might* be a kangaroo. You would be wrong.
Don’t think big.
Think small.
Shrimp small.
Meet the Mantis Shrimp also known as “Powerhouse of the Sea”.
These small, aggressive Crustaceans, (called ‘Stomatopods’), live in the waters of the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, between Hawaii and Eastern Africa. At roughly 4″ (though they have ben found as large as 18″), they are a marvel for several reasons.
- They have incredible eyes that can see cancer.
- They are older than dinosaurs- they began evolving nearly 400 million years ago, about 170 million years before dinosaurs, AND
- Their club-like claws throw the fastest punches in the WORLD.
That’s right! Though beautiful and vibrant, these stomapods are deadly, with the ability to “punch” with the same force and velocity of a .22 caliber rifle. Their claws are spring loaded, moving at over 50 mph and delivering a force of over 1,500 newtons, more than enough to smash through clam and crab shells, as seen in the video here.
Along with the humiliation of learning that a 4″ crustacean can punch harder than me, I also learned a new word:
CAVITATION – The process that occurs when low pressure in a liquid produces a bubble that rapidly collapses.
The punch of a mantis shrimp is so powerful and fast (50 times faster than the human eye can blink), that the resulting cavitation bubble causes a small flash of light and generates split seconds temperatures over 6000 Kelvin (as hot as the surface of the sun) in the surrounding water.
When the bubble collapses, it causes an intense shockwave that can stun, dismember or kill prey instantly – even if the mantis shrimp misses the target.
Observe what happens an unsuspecting octopus decides this mantis shrimp might be a tasty meal…
After our terrifying episode of “Animal Plant at Sheli’s”, we moved on to discuss politics in three countries (US, UK & the Netherlands), life as a freelance writer, a day in the life of a geneticist, current research Bastiaan (the environmental scientist) was working on, Covid-19 worldwide, experiences as an epidemiologist working in different countries, and various global travel experiences full of (more) horrifying wildlife encounters.
And that, friends, is what an evening of conversation looks like when I have the privilege to host easy-going and personable travelers who enjoy interacting with their hostess (and other guests). Our conversation was all over the map (literally and figuratively)!
These fun filled conversations cement the new friendships that were formed. In fact, it’s not uncommon for my guests to stay in contact with not just me, but with others they met while staying with me.
In today’s world, where divisiveness and “Us versus Them” seems to be the popular theory, it’s a great reminder that we are more alike than we are different.
As a general rule, we all want to be welcomed, liked, valued, and engaged with those around us. We favor harmony over discord and prefer to be friends, rather than opponents, adversaries or enemies. We are willing to be open, friendly and (somewhat) vulnerable when we feel it is safe to do so.
I hope you enjoyed this peek into my world as a hostess.I encourage you to consider those thoughts when you encounter a stranger.
And if you really want to stretch your wings and expand your worldview, consider using any (or all) of those platforms to host, or be hosted when you travel!
