As a kid, I moved to Washington DC after the fall of the Soviet Union. I still wonder who I would have been had we stayed in Odessa, Ukraine...the mail order bride capital of the world!

Now, I'm a researcher and a classical singer. I design immersive and participative VR and theater. I can't believe someone is paying me to do this.

These days, I try to be present in the every day, to grow from every experience. The world is so beautiful, if we just give it attention.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Truly, life is short, and the world is wide. it's easy to forget how similar we are despite our differences. It's easy to believe that we're better, smarter, and more deserving of love and success than someone else. We're not.

Couchsurfing has introduced me to some fantastic humans. I've couchsurfed and hung out with folks in London, Vienna, Montreal, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque. I've also hosted acquaintances from Chile and Iceland. Now that I'm back in Europe, I can't wait to keep traveling and meeting new friends.

The funniest couchsurfing feedback I've gotten is "you will probably get to know Alina if she's in your town because she seems to interact with every person on the street - e.g. we never had to guide her to places because she always found herself a guide on the way." So true.

Interests

I collect and restore antique clothing from the 1920s. I can turn any conversation into a fashion history lesson. Also, I will go into any thrift store with you.

As long as I'm not actively worried about my well being, I will pretty much try (eat/watch/listen to/experience) anything once.

• theater
• design
• cooking
• traveling
• opera
• art
• improv
• sewing
• research
• vintage fashion
• horsback riding
• swing and salsa

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
YouTube Pavarotti singing "Caruso." Don't skip on the subtitles.

Some favorite Books:
Hitchhiker's Guide ( of course) - Douglas Adams
The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov
Ray Bradbury short stories (my favorites are R is for Rocket, Frost and Fire, and the Foghorn, check them out!)
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out - Richard Feynman
Peace is Every Step - Thich Nhat Hanh
Pretty much everything by Ram Dass

Some Favorite Movies:
Everything Is Illuminated
Magnolia
Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Anything Miyazaki, Simon Pegg, or Stephen Chow

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

A friend and I accidentally got into the wrong line for the Vatican and skipping the 3 hour wait. We ran into the Sistine chapel before anyone else could get there, and savored it for a few minutes ourselves.

But also:

I read Randy Pauch's The Last Lecture in 2009, when I was a singer trying to figure out my life, and while I hadn't paid attention to the technical content, it resonated deeply as a human experience from an extraordinary person. I picked the book again in 2015, and out of the blue it dawned on me that Randy's research passion was the same as mine; he was a professor doing deeply cool research on audience experiences. I mentioned this to friends, and I found out that my adviser was at actually *at* the last lecture in 2008, and since then, I've met many collaborators and acquaintances of Randy's, and even mentored a student group at the entertainment center he built. It's crazy to me to have such a close connection to someone I only know from pen and paper.

Teach, Learn, Share

I've made macarons all over the world. I could probably make them at your house.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm happy to bake, sing, or pitch in with chores. I'd love you to teach your about music or design.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Moldova, Netherlands, Ukraine, United States