Friendly, sometimes social human. I am in for a walk, coffee, some nice conversations along the way.

I love when people suggest visiting some of their favourite hiking routes, little-known viewpoints, small artsy cinemas or live music venues - the local gems :) I would do the same if we happen to meet in the cities I have been for a while.

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I was born in Latvia and my family never travelled beyond this small Baltic country so as soon as I turned 18, I was out- working, travelling, volunteering, studying all around Europe. A few places became like second home: Málaga (Spain) and Freiburg (Germany).

Since January 2026, I'm living near Vienna and doing a research internship at IST Austria. It is a bit remote area hence I only visit Vienna on the weekends and also don't host people at the moment.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I suppose it is similar reason as for reading some books, for example. Each of us only got one body and life to live, with the limited experiences that comes with it. Yet, by "meeting" other people, be it in person, movie, or a novel, one can get to live a bit beyond that- to see what life is like from another human's perspective. Some of the people I have met here have left a lasting impact on my life; some rather surprised by showing how very different the lived human experiences can be. In any case, these encounters made my life richer and I hope I can do the same for others.

Interests

Various and varying over time :)

• ethics
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• biology
• languages
• neuroscience
• philosophy
• cultures
• climbing
• renewable energy
• adventure sports
• stand up paddle
• epigenetics
• resistance training
• nutrition science
• brain organoids

Music, Movies, and Books

Books (a few recent and long time favourites) - Jean-Dominique Bauby's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", William MacAskill's "Doing good better", Albert Camus's "The stranger", George Orwell "Animal Farm", "1984"..

Music - depends on the occasion

Movies/directors - Abbas Kiarostami ("Life, and Nothing More.." is a favourite, though I like all of his movies), Woody Allen (most of them), Jim Jarmusch (most of them)

Besides, Robert Sapolsky's fascinating lecture collection on Human Behavioral Biology (YouTube) was something that shifted my views on free will.. And might have led me into neuroscience direction. Worth a watch (no biology background needed).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Surviving the winters in Latvia?

Or perhaps taking a beginner's Persian course in German with a beginner's level of German. I did learn something, not sure in which language though

Teach, Learn, Share

I can share some tips on where to find good coffee and suggest nice places to visit in Freiburg, Málaga, Latvia or Montenegro.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Spontaneous (or planned) trips outdoors. Exploration of the city centre. Cup of good tea or coffee. Conversations on topics we are interested in

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, England, Germany, Latvia, Montenegro, Spain