Hi there, I'm Arina! I live in Bremen, but I'm originally from Tula. You know, where Leo Tolstoy, the author of "War and Peace", used to live. Have you read the book, by the way? Of course you have, it's just three words. Moving on...

I have a bachelor's degree in international relations. Although my university is based in Moscow, I got a chance to study in Germany and attend classes at New York Film Academy (preferably in New York, but unfortunetely it was online, what a shame). Now I'm taking a gap year..s and volunteering at a school in Germany (where I look after kids after their classes and assist teachers at the classroom).

I'm mad about music, literature and volunteering. Besides, I have a particular interest in sports - Alpine skiing, football, tennis. Any fans of tennis here, by the way? No? Oh, otherwise I would have told you how I fought for Novak Djokovic's autograph. It was tough, spoiler alert - I made it. Where was I? Ah, I'm a regular globetrotter, so if you're up for travelling, reach out to me - it will be legen...wait for it...I-hope-you-noticed-I'm-keen-on-TV-series...dary!

I'm also a past master at cooking so whenever you guys want to try something new or have a dinner together (not only coffee is available), let me know! A real foodie here.

That's it for now, I guess. I have more stories to share, but we'll come back to them later. I'm so excited to get to know you all better! 

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

One of my friends has friends all over the world. So whenever (and wherever) she travels, she has people that will make her stay unbelievable. I want to become the same person one day. I think it's astonishing when you have people you know all around the globe. So the first reason is building a network and establishing contacts with people from different countries and cultures. The second reason is living like a local. When I meet locals while travelling, I explore a completely different world rather than when I'm just following the guide with most popular attractions. The third reason is cultural exchange. I used to major in globalisation, so no wonder I'm dying to educate myself about various cultures and traditions. The fourth reason is obviously free accommodation. Let's be honest, being a volunteer I don't earn a lot. So free accommodation lets me explore the world without living on the streets. The fifth reason - just have fun!

Interests

• cooking
• board games
• reading
• music
• surfing
• sports
• volunteering
• taking photos

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite music genres - alternative, rock, indie and a bit of pop. Fave band - The Lumineers. I love singing along, but every time my sister begs me to stop doing so (apparently, based on her opinion, I'm a terrible singer).

I don't watch a lot of movies because I'm quite peaky, and choosing a suitable movie takes ages. Therefore I prefer TV series as if I find something good, I won't be searching for a new one for a while since usually TV series have several seasons.

As for books, I prefer classics and utopias. I love to say that I don't have a favourite book because so far I haven't read all the existing books :)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Managed to make Maya Hawke record a video for my sister on her birthday. Maya is her favourite actress, and she was chuffed to bits once she saw the video (even broke down in tears).

Organised a flash mob at Ed Sheeran's concert in Moscow for around 30,000 spectators. It was huge, and Ed has posted the end result on his Instagram account.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm an explore and a versatile person, so I'm interested nearly in everything.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My travel stories and passion for cooking and baking :) Rest assured that I do understand the principles of living at someone's place for free. This means, they'll be room for respect, following your rules and obviously gratitude. I'll also bring something as a small gift or will do something for you.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Russian Federation