If there's one aspect that's been dominating my life over the last years, it's my passion for swing dances, particularly Lindy Hop. I love so many aspects about it - from the dancing itself, to the great people, to the amazing music, to making this music myself!

On the other hand, I've done one of the nerdiest things conceivable - a PhD in math, but I like to "surprise" people that mathematicians with social skills do exist. ;-)

Finally, I love the mountains (it's one reason I love Zurich - they're right around the corner from a big city with everything you need) - and you'll never need to convince me to go hiking, mountainbiking, snowboarding, climbing etc.
Actually, the same is true for most other outdoor activities - my current goals are to pick up surfing and kite surfing.

As a result of these diverse aspects of my life, I like to think that I get along very well with a broad spectrum of people from artists to nerds to athletes; I'm sure we'll find something to talk about.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

After spending way too much time locked up in university, I've been dying to do a long trip before I start a career and probably won't have the possibility to take off such a large amount of time (~8 month).

In particular, I don't want to travel "the usual way" - rushing from one sight to the next, but take my time, stay where I want to stay for as long as I can or want to, check out the favourite spots of the locals etc.

During my times as a student I didn't have the possibility to host people, but I'm planning on giving back the love once I return!

Interests

Lindy Hop! Travelling!
Making music (I'm bringing my uke, and I sing a bit too; do you have a piano?), mountain biking, strolling through a city I don't know, meeting people, surfing, cooking & good food

• humanities
• singing
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• drinking
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• piano
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• kite surfing
• surfing
• snowboarding
• rock climbing
• mathematics
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
Oh, that's a big one... All flavours of jazz/swing/blues, labels like Freestyle Records, Tru Thoughts, Schema Records, but also lots of classical music (loving Chopin, Grieg, Bach, Beethoven, etc.), and many interesting flavours of the music of other cultures (tango, klezmer, cumbia, sufi, samba, overtone singing, etc.).
A few names of some of the (more or) less obscure artists I listen to on a day-to-day basis:
Alice Russell, Amon Tobin, Blockhead, Bonobo, dZihan & Kamien, Flevans, Gerardo Frisina, Gotan Project, Gregory Porter(!), Hidden Orchestra, Klazzbrothers & Cuba Percussion, Koop, Mo' Horizons, Povo, Quantic, The Cat Empire, The Cinematic Orchestra, Trinity Roots

Movies: If it's not a RomCom, I wanna see one of your favourite movies. Too many movies to name here.

Books:
True to the nerdy stereotype, I absolutely love Terry Pratchett. But there are many others, and I'll be reading lots of e-books on my trip.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Crossing the Alps (usually North->South) with just a backpack and a mountainbike - and a friend - over the course of 5-6 days (4 times already).

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: I can teach you how to Lindy Hop! Also math advice, if you want to talk about that for some strange reason. Might be able to give some hints about playing piano or ukulele too.

Learn: Would love to learn about your local cuisine.

Share: Let's make music! I can play a growing number of swing classics on the ukulele and sing along. Tell me your favourite song and let's see if we can find a chart and make it work. If you have a piano I might be able to play a little Chopin for you (if I'm not too rusty).

What I Can Share with Hosts

Kinda redundant with the point above, no?
Anyway, I'm sure I'll have a few stories to tell, and I'd love to hear yours!
If all else fails, let's go for a drink at your favourite bar. ;-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Maldives, Myanmar, Norway, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, New Zealand, Switzerland