Hey! After many years of having couchsurfing I hope now to properly start using it :)
This account is for me and my partner Alexander (30) as we are taking a sabbatical in Japan (and possibly South Korea/other areas of Asia) this coming winter 2023. I'm from the UK countryside originally and met Alexander in 2015 when au-pairing in the Netherlands. Alexander is Dutch and has lived in Amsterdam his whole life, with a few longer stays in Hong-Kong and New Zealand.

Right now I'm farming at a biodynamic farm in the Netherlands as I aim to convert my family farm to biodynamic principles in the coming years. Before I dedicate my time and energy to that, I thought it was the right moment to take a trip further from home and let my ideas run wild; get inspired by other influences than Europe or my day-to-day. My previous background has been in literature and anthropology and I also freelance as a translator.

Alexander is a art school graduate turned IT whizz. Thankfully he's also really into investing his talents into the farm alongside his work, so this trip is also going to be a time to reflect and get excited about the future, inspired for art projects, and of course enjoy Asia!

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

We look forward to sharing ideas, perspectives, laughs, hugs, delicious food, games...
This mutual good that is at the heart of Couchsurfing is what really drew me to it. That you can have real connections and exchanges with people, and this extends beyond the days or nights you spend together through couchsurfing. It reacquaints you with how special it is to be a human and alive at this moment in time!

Intereses

Hiking and camping is one of our biggest hobbies and we could hopefully recommend you some routes if you share the same interest :)

• cooking
• reading
• music
• hiking
• camping
• art
• filming
• sustainability
• outdoors
• farming

Música, películas y libros

Music is a big part of my life. Despite my degree in literature, music still tops it.
I'm in to a lot of different things, from Jungle and techno to Jazz, classic folk, punk or ambient. I am open and always excited to experience new music.
The book "4000 weeks" recently changed my life. That and "English Pastoral: An Inheritance" has sent me on the path I am now.

Alexander has an extensive list of philosophy classics that continue to inspire him! Epictetus, Nietzsche and Plato are some of his top reads. And he is very musical! He especially would like to learn the shamisen in Japan if this is possible :) and he/we would love to collect field recordings for music projects. Alexander already did a similar project in Hong Kong and released this music under the name Son Sinaa https://on.soundcloud.com/RTcG3 :)

Algo increíble que he hecho

Catherine - Free diving, hiking above the polar circle in Norway
Alexander - Meeting the Ashanti king in Ghana

Enseña, aprende, comparte

We're excited to also do some workaways in Japan and learn more about permaculture. So if you need help in your garden, then we'd love to teach you some principles that are good for the wildlife :)
We are also very into card games, should you would like to learn some new ones or share some of yours with us!
We also enjoy making different fermentations if that is also what you enjoy doing or eating.

Qué puedo ofrecer a los anfitriones

I'm always in to share recipes and food with hosts!
Alexander is a huge history and philosophy boffin, so there's always enough to talk about :)

Países que he visitado

Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United States

Países en los que he vivido

England, Netherlands