Hello, I'm Anna :) I'm 24 and I'm currently living in Bologna. At the moment I'm finishing my bachelor degree in Biology and enjoying my time trying to travel whenever I can. I'm passionate about nature of all kinds: I was born and raised in a small town by the seaside and every now and then I feel the need to go back and breath the fresh air of the sea and enjoy its quietness, just like I love walking through the hills of Bologna in sunny days. I dream of being a good African drums player one day (I'm working on it) and go play my djembe in the middle of nowhere with my friends, and a bottle of wine of course! I also dream of meeting as many people as a person can in a lifetime! Last year, 2021, I was living in Spain for my Erasmus and I had the opportunity to come across so many different cultures and realize that this is exactly what I want to keep doing for the rest of my life. I don't know what it is that people have that make me fall in love with them all the time! I feel I have a deep need for human contact, a need for words, faces, eyes; I always want more of this, and this is not cause what I have is not enough, it's the other way around: it's cause every person I meet gives me something so powerful that what I immediately feel is that my curiosity towards others cannot be stopped.
People say I'm a kind and funny person, and I think (and hope) it's true. I'm always willing to share, whether it's about stuff, time or thoughts.
I think I can say I'm a pretty optimistic person, I always tend to see the good side of everything (maybe sometimes it would be better to see the other side too, but for now I'm happy like this), and maybe that's what makes me so enthusiastic about pretty much everything! Speaking of enthusiasm, what makes me really really happy is going to concerts and listening to live music in general, either it's on a stage or on the streets.
What else? There are a lot of things about myself coming to my mind, but I can't choose what to say right now, so I just hope what I already said is going to be enough for you to feel like having a beer with me and talk about other topics! :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I already mentioned how much I love meeting new people, and that should be enough as a reason for being on Couchsurfing, but I want to be honest: of course the first thought I had when I first heard about it was: "Wow, I can travel for free, that's great!"
So, a sincere and complete answer to "why are you here?" would be something like: I'm here cause this place fits my needs and hopes and dreams, and travelling while meeting people and sharing time with them while also saving money it's genuinely the best thing I can ask the world at the moment.

Interests

I don't like lists, but here's a list of things I like:
animals, music, food, writing, reading, drawing, drums, languages, cultures, people, Africa, South America, Spain, dinosaurs, insects, frogs, squirrels (have I already mentioned I like animals?), pizza, pasta (have I have already said I'm Italian?), sunny days, cheap vintage shops, cheap things in general, travelling, colours, the sea, science, philosophy

• animals
• writing
• nature
• languages and cultures
• music, literature, food

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm not a person who usually says the word "hate", but yes, I think I hate when people ask me "what music do you like? what's your favourite movie? oh, and what about books?". Really, I can't choose. I know it's my problem, I don't blame you Couchsurfing. But okay, I'll do my best, and again I'll end up doing lists even if I don't like them.

The music I listen to depends on the mood, I would say: The Smiths, Lady Gaga, Tracy Chapman, Buena Vista Social Club, Aurora, Alt-J, Placebo, Calle 13, Manu Chao, Nathy Peluso, Hayley Williams, Amy MacDonald, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Onda Vaga, Damien Rice, The XX, Cigarettes After Sex, and so on.

Movies: James and Giant Peach (if you haven't watched it yet, do it. Now.)

Books: I'll say the first authors that I like that will come to my mind: Stefan Zweig, Paul Valéry, Émile Zola, Dostoevskij, Leopardi, Edgar Allan Poe, Michele Serra

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm open about the learning and sharing part but I don't really feel like teaching anything to anyone 😂
That being said, during the past year I found myself very interested in ""explaining"" things about Italian language to foreigners, so maybe we could have nice conversations about our languages and both share some knowledge. Also, when cooking I love to mix food in, let's say, unexpected ways, so...I could ""teach you"" how not to be afraid when it comes to try cookies with onion!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I've recently found out that you don't need to be a good pastry chef to make a delicious Italian tiramisù, so that's what I can easily offer! Also, I can offer my enthusiasm for singing together our favourite songs (the worst you sing, the better) and I can offer you my ears and my time: I'd love to listen to you, your thoughts, your dreams, maybe your fears, your stories and your adventures (though I don't know if this counts as an offer, it feels more like a request 😂)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Spain