I am currently on sabbatical, traveling the world with my girlfriend, Tanya. We started our trip in March 2024 and have been exploring South America since then. So far, we’ve journeyed through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia, and are now in Guatemala. Next up: Belize, Mexico, and the USA!

I previously worked in data analytics and digital marketing, and I have lived in Istanbul for 10 years and Amsterdam for 8 years.

I love good music and really enjoy attending electronic music festivals and parties. I am also a DJ and occasionally play at some parties. Here is my SoundCloud page if you want to check out my music: https://soundcloud.com/bilgeco

I love going out, trying different restaurants, exploring new cities, meeting new people, and spending time with friends. I also enjoy staying at home, watching random shows on Netflix with good company and some wine.

I used to be an amateur photographer. Although I haven’t been taking photos recently, I am thinking about getting back into it. You can check out my photos on my Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sipidikkokarca/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couple of years ago I hosted Manuel - a german film director - for six months at my place in Istanbul. We became friends in a short time and I had a really nice time with him in Istanbul. Well he wasn't a director back then, he was an exchange student. Years later he visited me in Amsterdam, for the premier of his new short film in IDFA.

I also hosted a guy from Hong-Kong. Roy was a computer science student also was an exchange in Istanbul. He stayed at my place for two weeks. We also went to south coast for a short vacation with a couple of my friends. Years later I visited him in Hong Kong and spent an evening together, shared stories.

I really enjoyed getting to know new people and having the chance to see them years later. I believe that sometimes little interactions can led to big events in the future, sometimes they don't. If you know how to enjoy little things that life has to offer, it instantly becomes a better place.

I thought CS would be another adventure for me to meet new people around world, both by hosting and surfing. Collecting memories is the most valuable investment in life and I think CS is a great source for that.

Interests

Parties, DJ'ing, Photography, Music, Culinary, Cooking, Traveling, Skiing, Reading, Movies

• performing arts
• photography
• concerts
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• beer
• technology
• reading
• traveling
• juggling
• music
• live music
• surfing
• skiing
• business
• computer science
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I basically listen every kind of music but I'm into electronic music for the last couple of years. I occasionally play in some parties and really enjoy making people dance :)

I also like jazz, trip-hop, chill-out, ambient, world, fusion and rock music. I used to be an amateur drummer.

Movies: Not good at remembering movies but I like Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli movies in general) and Wes Anderson movies. I also like documentary series in Netflix.

Books: on the road, catcher in the rye, alamut, the blind watchmaker

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I got a patent for a project that I've worked in university
I shook Joe Biden's hand
I played at a party in the iconic The Loft Amsterdam

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to DJ,
how to juggle three balls,
how to roll a cigarette
and other unnecessary things like this =)

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Nepal, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, Turkey