Before sending me a couch request, please read through my whole profile carefully.
I grew up in South Africa and came to Europe 11 years ago. I guess I have always lived a bit of a nomadic life and found it hard to settle down in just 1 place. I have lived in suburbia, on isolated farms, a houseboat and am now in a house in a rural village.
I am quite a laid back person and don't stress easily.
I am a free spirit who likes to spread her wings ever so often.

My 2 dogs are the boss of me. Amazing how these 2 little hounds rule my home and I am unable to resist. So, if you do not like dogs or animals in general, this is certainly not the place for you.
I do not suffer fools, bigots, racists or hypocrites lightly.
I consider myself a spiritual person. I believe in my God and you can do as you wish. Don't try to convince me that I need saving or rescuing from my beliefs and we will get on just fine.
I am a generous person but I don't appreciate users. All I ask for is that you share a little bit of your time with me. I share my home, food and hospitality freely but I don't like to be hit up for small change or train tickets etc. If I do have to help you out in this way for whatever reason, I do expect to be paid back promptly.
Basic good manners but some people need to be reminded.
I believe what you put out into the universe, comes back.

When you send your request to me, make sure to ask me about my dogs, so that I know that you have read my whole profile and please address me by name. If you fail to do that, I will decline your request without any explanation.
Also ensure that there are at least 2 clear photos of yourself in your profile. I don't host flowers, cats - no matter how cute they are, babies or people who have their backs turned to me. If you arrive here and you don't look anything like the photo you have on your profile, you will be turned away regardless of how far you have travelled or how tired you are.

I am looking to meet nice people and make good friends from all over the world. I am selective about the requests I accept and will not respond to copy and paste messages or ones addressed to Babe, Honey or any of these nonsensical terms. My name is Anke and I like to be addressed as such. Also if you are verified in 1 way or more, it helps.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like meeting new people and learning about their cultures. Couchsurfing is an ideal way to invite the world to my home.
I like travelling but don't enjoy the tourist experience. I prefer to stay with local people so I can experience the real culture of the place.
I get saddened when people come around just for a free meal and a place to stay without sharing something from themselves and by that I don't refer to anything financially but the heart. Abusing my kindness would be a pity because you will never be invited back.
I like to meet positive people who have a love for life and travelling.
I am happy to host for 1 or 2 nights and I prefer to only host 1 person at a time but will consider a couple.

Interests

• dogs
• reading
• music
• classical music
• languages
• vegetarian food
• pescatarian cooking

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have done several amazing things. At 17 I travelled all over Europe. I hitch-hiked all over South Africa. I was in Cairo, Egypt during the revolution. Lived on a houseboat in Southall, London.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can cook but am not too enthusiastic about it. I am happy to help and learn about it, though.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories and experiences from different cultures. I will bring some wine, food and hopefully laughter and joy.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Hungary, Italy, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Oman, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, England, Germany, South Africa