Hello! I'm an opera singer and writer who loves to make deep and lasting connections. My favorite way to do so is through travelling and collaborating on art projects. If you are an artist of any kind and in my city, please reach out, I'd love to work on something regardless of scope :) I'm originally from Ukraine but have been living in the United States for the past decade. I travel as much as I can and I try to visit the friends I've made along the way. I love hearing your stories, your cultures and ways of thinking, and I particularly enjoy trying out new foods and drinks. I'm on my way to becoming a somelier so if we can exchange some wine knowledge, that would be fantastic.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

This is still one of the best ways to make friends around the world. I speak many languages and would like to learn many more, and the best way to keep the ones I know fresh and acquire new ones is to practice speaking with another person as regularly as possible. Part of not being a tourist is to be in the place with somebody who is from there or lives there. What's the point of travelling to a city only to stay in an Airbnb that looks just like any other Airbnb in your country, eating at a McDonalds and going to the Irish Pub, coming home to watch Netflix. I seek out the local experience whenever I can, as I've found it's the best way to experience a new place.

Music, Movies, and Books

I love classical music and often listen to Bach and Shostakovich while writing. Altin Gunn is a favorite and I'm trying to go to one of their concerts this year. I'll read anything that's good! Some favorite authors: Anthony Burgess, Chuck Palanhiuk, Romain Gary, Sartre. Same with film - if it's excellent, I'm interested regardless of genre. My preferred genre is psychological thriller. Some favorites: The Lighthouse, The Master, Rubber, Filth, Tropic Thunder, any Tarkovsky film but particularly Nostalghia.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Went on tour with my choir to South Korea. Life-changing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love sharing languages and writing. I'm a professional singer and make a living split between performing and teaching voice lessons. If you want to improve your singing, on any level, any genre, I'd be happy to give you some voice lessons :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Music, poetry, food, drink, games, conversations for hours, stories.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Romania, Russian Federation, Ukraine, United States