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Overview

  • 67 references 61 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English, French, German; learning Persian (Farsi)
  • 26, Male
  • Member since 2014
  • Ph.D. Candidate / Research Associate
  • M.A. International Relations
  • From Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

Just moved to Freiburg for my new job and Ph.D. Looking forward to exploring the city and the area together.

Easy-going and open-minded. Good coffee on a sunny day and cold beer on a mild evening are little packages of happiness which make the world a better place. I like reading, music, going out with friends, feeling the sun on my face, wind in my hair, and rain on my skin, and now and then I am up for a party.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

"What is that, passion? It's a fire, it's a fire in your heart."

"Having wrestled agency from the gods, humans use this agency to recreate [...] the certainty they provided, thereby reducing the scope of their freedom."

It's quite a fascinating thing: while many people are in a fundamental sense free to do anything, and all people are free to do at least more than they actually do, they mostly stick to their routines, habits, and everything they know, because they are too scared to dare. But if the world is filled with infinite wonders and, for all we know, our time in it is limited, should we not try to experience as much of it as possible? Infinitely big and mysterious, the world is of course also a scary place and I understand and feel the temptation of security. Maybe the best most of us can strive for in life, is to be aware of both sides, and to not succumb to security-seeking without a fight, but instead to constantly challenge ourselves, go beyond what we already know, and thus try to keep our eyes wide with wonder and stay hungry for the world. And to collect as many memories, connections, experiences, impressions, and emotions -in short: as much depth- as possible. Of course, "all these moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain". That's exactly why they are the most valuable thing a human being can possess.
Why I am on Couchsurfing? To think new thoughts, see new things, meet new people, and participate in the endless richness of life, as best as I can. And what would be better for that than being gifted with a glance at a seeming stranger's life in a different part of the world, and the luck of having seeming strangers bring a piece of the world to your home? The many experiences and memories that I was able to make with the Couchsurfing community are thus some, for which I am most grateful in life.

Interests

Politics, history, traveling, fantasy, science fiction, philosophy.

Long hikes, road trips, hitchhiking: being able to move through the world independently.

I enjoy sailing as a sport, as a way to travel, and as a state of mind, even though I do not have nearly as many opportunities to sail as I would like to.

In terms of traveling, I prefer a slow approach. I do not like to fly in a country and out again the week next. I like to travel overland instead of flying and take all the time that is required.

  • politics
  • movies
  • reading
  • traveling
  • music
  • hiking
  • backpacking
  • sailing
  • history
  • philosophy
  • road trips
  • workout
  • drinking coffee
  • meeting with friends
  • solo traveling

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies and shows: The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Game of Thrones, Gladiator, 300, The Northman, House of Cards, Sherlock Holmes, Ides of March, Fightclub, The Dark Knight, Drive, Hell or High Water, Matrix, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049, Alien, Ad Astra, Dune, Django Unchained, Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds, Seven Years in Tibet, Into the Wild, The Blues Brothers, Weit, Lost in Translation, and many more...

Reading: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Philosophy.
Camus, Nietzsche, Kafka, Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet".

Music: everything and all over the place...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I could not decide on one. Looking forward to adding more “magic moments” to the list.

Spending a night high in the alps without a tent
Students exchange in Moscow
Drinking homemade rice-liqueur with a Vietnamese farmer
Jungle-full moon party on Koh Rong Samloem Island, Cambodia
Riding around Lao on a motorbike
Couchsurfing in and experiencing Bangkok, New York City, and Istanbul

Teach, Learn, Share

Whether you stay in my home, or you allow me to stay at yours, I am willing to share as much as I can. We can share experiences, a meal, a good conversation over coffee, some time together on a beautiful or even an ordinary day, an open ear for the others’ thoughts, and maybe even some advice -though the last one is often difficult.
I can teach you a bit of Elvish (from The Lord of the Rings).

What I Can Share with Hosts

Conversations about anything, and hopefully a good time, and if I can, I will help you with anything.
People say, I am quite a decent cook (thanks, mum :)), although with a relatively limited range of recipes, which, however, I will be more than happy to let you evaluate for yourself.
It goes without saying, but whenever you come to Germany, you are more than welcome to stay at my place.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Netherlands

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