November, December '23, January '24 and part of January '24 I want to be in the Alps, working and skiing. Could have a caretaker of my house during that period. Who knows.
But if I would be traveling the rest of Europe I really would love, as a change, to be hosted by other hosts or my former surfers....

Till June '23 I had my profile set to one or two guests. Did set it to one now.... But let's see maybe I still do couples. Just write the request (and please read the 'home' part of the profile (click "read more").

Ps. The profile photo (me in that stripy T-shirt) is showing me as a fat guy. I am not. Must be the sunlight ;-)

Basically I am a hippie and believe in world peace in my time (quote for a film, who said this?). I am serious about this!
To make this a short description. I am a idealist and CEO / Founder of a Pre-funded E-automotive Startup. The aim is it to do something about my hate and love relation with vehicles. I love to drive anything and everything that is fast and rumbles dangerously when I accelerate, but I hate the fact that they poison our world. So we are going to build (Upcycle) Electric Vehicle's and save the world from drowning.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To do two of my favored things, traveling and meet New People and I am doing this already 30+years!
It's amazing to meet people that easily, and get to know a country, a city etc through the eyes of a local and it makes traveling way more fun than any anonymous hotel. Airbnb's are better but not the same.
Just to be part of the world around my host, join in and, even how short our roads cross, play a part in it... for instance by cooking a meal together, go for drinks or any happening, beach party etc.

The fun part of hosting is traveling via my guests wile sleeping in my own bed.

Interests

IMPORTANT:
Please note that I am not living in Amsterdam, but in Utrecht, 35km south of Adam
(and 175km north of Maastricht).
-CSers looking for a place in Amsterdam are invited,
- Public transport is 1 hour from my place to Amsterdam Centre and a return trip costs around €20
-- When traveling as a couple please include the name and/or CS-link to the profile of the CSer who wants to join you in my house. I want to know in advance who is staying under my roof.
.
- When sending a request, please note in your message that you have read my whole profile and mention the 'Password' that is somewhere in the text. (yes it is in there ;-)
...hint: ist not simply the word "Password". You have to literally read both parts of this profile.

POINT 1. - GOLDEN RULE

If you are looking for a place to stay in order to save money, this is definitely not your couch.
Nonetheless, if you are looking to visit the beautiful city of Utrecht and in the process meet a well-travelled Dutch guy, then you are in the right couch.

POINT 2. - A MUST RULE!!!

Empty profiles get empty answers. If you have nothing to say in your profile, then we have nothing to talk about. I realy like to know you (a bit) before you knock at my door. And again: please include a link to your partner (CS, FB) if you are coming with two.

POINT 3.
May '16: REQUESTING ME A COUCH?
Before You do Anything, PLEASE check Out The following link, how to be a good Guest :
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-House-Guest

POINT 4.
Please mention in your profile the important stuff. It is somewhat disappointing if we hosts prepare a special welcome diner for you (I often do) and when you arrive it turns out that you are VEGAN and I made you a beautiful vegetarian meal or a bouillabaisse.

POINT 5.
I am hosting for 30+ years and I like requests who are specially written for me. A lot of requests feel like clever "copy-past" ones.
Please don't do that. I am intelligent enough to notice the difference. You are not the first request.
And I know this is just a trick, but I like it, mention the password "hidden" somewhere. (Yes it's there)

POINT 6.
I hate COUCH-ZOMBIES. In 2016 I had one.
You have to know; if I feel up to it and our chemistry is okay I simply share all the food in the house. I am doing that already for many years.
Mid July '16 I had a guest. We cooked together, we shared meals etc upto.... I invited him to take anything he wanted: "lets share everything". He took that literally. From then on, when, for instance, he made a coffee, although I was in the kitchen/living room, he didn't even checked weather I wanted maybe also something to drink. He ate and drunk alone as if there was nobody in the house. The whole social bit was gone. He took and didn't share any more..
Please leave your zombie alter ego somewhere else... ;-)

POINT 7.
will follow?

INTERESTS:
Meditation, saving the world for my Kids generation. Going to The North Sea Jazz festival for 3 days (every year in july). Driving my motor bike, sailing, hiking, climbing.

FILOSOFIE:
I find simple pleasures of life (see places I like) more appealing than complex and complicated pleasures of life. And to me simple pleasure of life is to hang out in nature or an ancient pub. I respect it and I appreciate it a lot more than I do with the artificial, man-made atmosphere of this planet (big busy stinking cities)…. Of course Art and Music are those man-made things I if course simply include in my pleasures.
Yeb, I hate the rate race. Power games (to hurt someone), fights and particularly war! (Knocking on heaven's door!, Blowing in the wind...!).

- To not make live a drama or a opera.. (I hate drama and theatre acts to manipulate the other person).

- Better regret something you did do than regret something you didn't do ;-)

- I have many philosophies, but my favourite is: "if you want something, you can realise it" (from "The secret").

- It's simple but clear. Living life could be simple or complicated, everything depends on you. What you make of it.

- Another interesting one is "things aren't usually as they seem".

New since Jan 2016 (some of my business motto's concerning my coming start-up):
"Maybe it's not always about trying to fix something.
Maybe it's about starting over and creating something better."
and
"The world is going to change
With or without you
Get ready"

• dogs
• arts
• photography
• festivals
• cooking
• wine
• vegetarian
• meditation
• partying
• drinking
• chess
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• jazz
• opera
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• sailing
• rock climbing
• business
• hitchhiking
• beaches
• sustainability
• sustainable development
• environmentalism
• sustainable living
• enterpreneurship
• saving the world
• bussiness development

Music, Movies, and Books

For Jazz music you can wake me up any time. Talk about it while sitting in my garden with a glas wine and a fire enjoying the evening while celebrating live.
- Movies: Into the wild, August Rush, Intouchables, Extremely loud and incredibly close, My name is nobody, Amelie, Matrix, The Notebook, The girl with the dragon tattoo, Leap Year, Pursuit of Happyness, In the name of the rose, The secret, and I got a special spot for romantic movies like: Serendipity, Sleepless in Seattle, Notting Hill, love actually, A Good Year (I like to be the young Maximilian), A lot like love etc

- Books: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Trespassing on Einsteins lawn, Harry Potter, Nostradamus, Bhagwan, Krishnamurti, about subjects, papers and studies around Smart Cities, Circulair Economy, Sustainability and Renewables ... etc

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Meditating in Pune, Goa and other places, hiking in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and South Africa.
Working with Kids wo were deserted by their parents (+30 years).
Before the internet age: travel Europe, India and the rest of the world on low budget by hitchhiking and a early format of Couchsurfing or camping (wild).
- Januari 2018 I did such a thing again in Taiwan.
- November 2019 Spain & Portugal.

Teach, Learn, Share

If you're in for it:
- Everything about starting a company with no money grassroot, .... (Forgot, will at soon).
- building your own Electric Car.
- I'd love to show you a little about photography, climbing or any other thing I know of.
- if you're interested: things you must do and see in Utrecht or any other place like Amsterdam, Amersfoort, Maastricht, or any other (old) town like Naarden Vesting.
- I think that it is important to sit and eat/drink together at least once during your stay (I'll cook but will be happy to learn from you when you cook and we'll drink some wine (always lots available).

What I Can Share with Hosts

Tell stories and cook together a nice meal and enjoy this with good wine.
I like playing boardgames (no chess) and like a good challenge.
Train you and your dog or teach you some Dutch.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Germany, India, South Africa