I am a German/USAmerican hombased in Berlin, Germany and on the job in various locations, presently in Konstanz, Bodensee. I am of French, Polish and Czech ancestry. Also I am secretly Canadian.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I owe wonderful trips on various continents to people on this platform and had a lot of fun having people stay with me, too.

Now we all know that CS is not a non-profit anymore and that this place is now jammed with people primarily looking to save on hostel money. Fortunately this is not what CS is about, or at least it isn't for me. To me, CS makes all the difference between traveling and having a vacation, that is: making meaningful connections.

Interests

First of all, I love hanging out with friends old and new! A good conversation is what makes my day!

I worked in politics for years, so I guess I am afflicted by what's going on in the world at times. Meanwhile I am making sure not to get carried away with any of that, so I am looking to distract myself with all kinds of fun things. At the moment I'm into running, yoga, salsa and board games.

I dedicate a lot of my time to creative writing. Basically I've been writing all my life, but now I am actually trying to make up projects and see if I can go through with them. I am interested in narrative technique, so what I'm presently working at is a collection of short stories that experiment with style, genre and narrative devices... it's a little brainy but a lot of fun :)

I used to sing a lot, like, the classical stuff. I don't have any ambition with that any more but I do burst out in a chant from time to time. Also I think Karaoke is great way to seize a stage and being silly.

• writing
• books
• causes
• exercise
• meditation
• music

Music, Movies, and Books

There's way too many to mention, so I'll pick a few things I have been interested in recently:
My flatmate is a Salsa teacher, so I ended up taking some classes and I'm loving it!
I love Jorge Luis Borges! The guy kind of invented at least 5 different kinds of genres (such as the fictional review, writing a review about a book that doesn't exist).
I am a faithful Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli watcher. This stuff makes me feel like being 12 years old and yearning for ice cream
In non-fiction I read a lot on Native American Cultures and Traditions.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I had myself split in body and awareness while experimenting with deep meditation practices.

I witnessed 14 dolphins swim into the bay of La Coruna in Galicia. They were so close, people started to rush for the water trying to reach them swimming.

I have been honored with a spirit name by my Elder of the Tseil-Watuth First Nation in the northern Vancouver area (Coast Salish).

Teach, Learn, Share

There were a few poets surfing my place and sharing one's writing with one another is awesome!

While I used to be extremely picky about what I eat (been vegetarian for 10 years and spend 5 of those vegan), I presently returned to being fascinated with the variety of ways we feed yourself. So I guess cuisines is one of the things I'd love to learn more about!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am an experienced couchsurfer and can easily adapt to almost any situation. Ideally I would like to run around the city with someone for a few days, either as a host or a guest, but I sure know how helpful it is if someone can help with a place to stay, even if they are busy.
My pancakes have been appreciated by hosts on 4 continents ;)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Germany, United States

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