Hi there, I‘m Bernhard.

I am a 19 y/o freshly finished German highschool student and before starting my university studies I want to leave my comfort zone and travel through northeastern Europe.

I am very open-minded and want to push the boundaries of my comfort zone. I like to travel (as one could probably tell by seeing this account on this platform) and meet new people from other parts of the big blue marble. Treating one another with respect as well as being truly trustworthy and honest are the most important things to me.
I like science and technology, especially chemistry.

Furthermore, Icare about social injustices and the environment and plan on engaging in (local)politics sooner than later. I also volunteer at my local church.

Sports play an important part in my live as well. I work out in the gym multiple times a week and played Badminton on a professional level.

In the future, I aim to study, - if possible - do a semester abroad and continue traveling to other countries. Other than that I have no concrete plans yet and just want to enjoy life while being young.

Thank you for reading all this and I hope to see you in person soon, cheers 💙🤍💙

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing. In my opinion the single greatest idea for travelers. Meeting locals, making friends and finding a affordable stay all in one go.

For me the biggest reason why I’m on Couchsurfing is the fact that I can meet people from a different country in their land in their homes and not feel unwelcome or as a stranger. If you give into the experience, you can learn a lot about a foreign culture, traditions and habits. Not only that but you also get secret tips and tricks directly by a local and can even become great friends over time.
That’s very different from other stay-finding platforms like Airbnb, where you don’t actually get to know the people living there.
For me, where is no country without its people. Lines on a map don’t mean anything without people that fill in the spaces between them.

And of course I need a place to stay when traveling abroad. Annnd that place must be somewhat affordable as well so I still have money left to spend on food and activities.
In the end, the only two options left are Couchsurfing and hostels, but why should I spend my precious time in a hostel when I could instead use it to form bonds with interested locals and thus experience the country not just from outside but within? Hostels are only plan B when there simply is no host available.

One thing I want to say at the end is that I don’t like that the platform changed to a profit organization (because it is such a great idea and cultural exchange at its base should be completely free) but I ultimately understand the reasons behind it doing so.

Interests

• cats
• culture
• nightlife
• politics
• technology
• reading
• music
• scuba diving
• badminton
• chemistry
• geography
• gym
• museums
• space
• health and fitness

Music, Movies, and Books

I like a lot of different music genres and often hear a wide mix, but of course there are some that I prefer over the others. My favorites would be American rap with artists like G-Eazy, Kid Cudi, Drake, Eminem and XXXTENTACION followed by EDM with the likes of Alan Walker, Imanbek, Unkown Brain and Hopex as well as sadder music from a mix of German and English Artists.

I also listen to a German podcast called „Lage der Nation“ which is a political podcast hosted by a journalist and a lawyer that I would really recommend.

I really enjoy a good science fiction movie or a big action blockbuster, but ultimately I prefer watching psychological thrillers like Shuttered Island or a good social drama.
I watch a lot of series too. Some of my all time favorites are “Dark“, “When they see us“, the anime series “Monster“ as well as some episodes from “Love, Death & Robots“.

The books I read are mostly German literature. An author I highly recommend is Juli Zeh.
Generally, I like to read a lot of different books, it really depends on the person suggesting them.

Teach, Learn, Share

As I‘m a German native speaker I’d love to teach someone who’s interested in my language some German and at the same time, I want to learn a few words of the local host language as well.

Overall, I want to learn as much as possible from Hosts and the area itself. I am extremely open-minded and don’t really care about what someone can offer to teach. I want to learn everything anyway.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Isn’t this pretty much the same as in teach, learn, share?
To put in simply terms, I can share as much with Hosts as they would like to. There is no definite boundary.

As a 19y/o that hasn’t really traveled much before my life experiences are still somewhat limited but I would love to share everything I can as long as somebody shows interest in.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Sweden

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany