CURRENT MISSION

Explore the Universe one step at the time.

ABOUT ME

I was on the road for 18 months and most of the time I was surfing so I know how it is when you are looking for your next host and reading through profiles just to find some condition in the end of the page. That is why I let you know right away that I can only host one person at the time as my flat is quite small and I would like to get to know the person whom I'm hosting so it would be good if you would stay more than one night. Other than that I'm not picky so just read through my profile and see if you want to stay at my place.

Hi, I'm Arto Klemola. You may remember me as Ambassador of Lonkero.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDvTqqhBwRM

Or as candidate of the Mars One Mission.

http://vimeo.com/72253542

Now after the Troy McClure reference I can tell a bit about the background of those videos. The common theme in both of them is travelling. First one was created for a competition where the prize was a trip to Jamaica as Ambassador of Lonkero (Finnish drink). Second film was for the Mars One mission where the best candidates are chosen for astronaut training and later for one way trip to Mars. My personal aims in life are to challenge myself, do something creative and fun. That is why I did those videos and if I would have won those competitions it would have been just the cherry on top.

Those videos give a glimpse to my sense of humor and demeanor. I easily come along with nearly everyone and usually have smile on my face. My passion is learning as much as I can about the Universe, exploring this world and getting to know new inhabitants of this little blue ball.

I'm also quite easy to spot when you meet me, just look for the hippie looking dude who is about 2 meters tall.

PHILOSOPHY

œIf your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.

A stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Simply I think couchsurfing is the best way to travel and meet people. I've been part of the community for years even before I officially joined to the site. My friend was hosting people and I went to CS meetings in my town. I joined when I started my travel which lasted for 18 months, I was couchsurfing in Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Sri Lanka and around Europe. I've met amazing people through this community and now that I'm back home and I've a flat I can finally host people.

Interests

Science, nature, trekking, philosophy, all types of games, science fiction, history.

Writing. Now I'm working and writing a book about my big journey, most of it will be true. It was my plan before the journey to write a book so I observed keenly various customs, kept notes the whole time and collected stories from people. After this year I think I'll quit my work and start writing full time.

• writing
• books
• architecture
• walking
• drinking
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• history
• science
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Cult movies in general. (The Room, They Live, Barbarella, Pink Flamingos, Eraserhead, the list goes on. If you like weird movies you can come and watch them with my friends.

Music: Depends on the situation.

Books: I read more when I'm on the road and various styles. Some of my favorite authors are Orwell, Kerouac and Huxley.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Realized how beautiful this existence is, this made me want to explore more internally and externally. I'm still wandering and wondering every day.

Teach, Learn, Share

Me and my friends create games. The latest is a card game called Dragon's Money Laundering and it is aimed for players who like challenging tabletop games. The best thing about this game is that you don't need to buy anything, all you need is a deck of playing cards, two dice and a coin so it is easy to play when you are travelling. One game lasts about one hour and you need three of four players. If you are interested in games we would be happy to play this game with you.

More info from here: https://www.facebook.com/DML101/?ref=hl

What I Can Share with Hosts

I used to work as a tour guide and I know about the history and architecture of Helsinki so if I got time I can give you walking tour around the city.

Countries I’ve Lived In

Egypt, Finland, Greece, India, Malta, Thailand, Turkey