~ Please only reach out if you have read and feel connected to my profile :) I want to know who you are and what your intentions are. I do not accept non-personalised requests. ~

Hola! 🌈
I am Bente, 29 yo from the Netherlands. I live in Rotterdam, which I believe is one of the best cities in the world, but I might be biased. I love nature, adventure, (slow) travelling and meeting new people. Trains are my favourite mode of transport, but I have also become interested in bikepacking, and I hope to make a big fat trip by bike one day.

When I am not traveling, I like to do analog photography, different forms of dancing, write poetry, and to experiment in the kitchen. I recently started singing as well so bring earplugs.
I feel very involved in my city, I run weekly free social dinners in the area and I am involved in various other green initiatives. I care about community and see community care as an indispensable form of love. I see couchsurfing as a form of community as well. I am anti capitalist and anti consumerism.

I love hearing people’s stories, their passions and what makes them laugh. I equally love connecting over the mundane, a silence, or a silly moment.

I host people of all ages, backgrounds and genders, as long as you don’t hold views that are harmful to other people. Only kindness in this place 🌞

Please see my home section, read my house rules over there, and see if you can agree with them before you reach out. I’m very spontaneous and I don’t really plan ahead. So I can’t really tell if I’d be able to host you one month into the future. I usually know my plans one or two weeks ahead.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like meeting locals when travelling, and sharing my house with amazing people when home. I love experiencing my own city through the eyes of travellers and more often than not I learn something new!

Interests

I love dancing, photography, wild animals and I am interested in social justice.

• vegan
• hiking
• mountains
• film photography

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite movie is Hunt for the wilder people. It's the cutest thing ever and you should watch it.
And books... probably everything by Sue Monk Kidd (read The secret life of bees, it's amazing). I am also a big fan of Olga Tokarczuk and Margaret Atwood.
I listen to all kinds of music, and I love experimental and electronic music, I love listening to live music, and I am learning to play the piano.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I did the Great Ocean Walk in Australia in 2018. It was in the middle of nowhere and we took all our food and camped in the wild for six days. I was with great people and I saw snakes, echidnas, koalas (they sound scary af), kangaroos... And I was very tired after.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have a lot of random facts about things that randomly pop up in my head. If you're in Rotterdam, I will probably bombard you with Rotterdam trivia :) I can teach you some Dutch words too. I also do a great impression of a rooster.

I have worked in various restaurants as a cook. I can teach you some vegan baking, fermenting, and foraging wild edible plants.

I am into cooking and trying new foods, so if you come to my place I would love to learn to make your signature dish (or just watching you make it and eating it is fine too 😜)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am a pretty decent cook and baker, and I can take a nice photo of you. Other than that: good vibes and stories.
I am aware that it’s a privilege to be hosted; and I like to communicate any boundaries or house rules, preferably even beforehand.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Laos, Latvia, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden