Update: NO HOSTING AT THE MOMENT SINCE I HAVE MOVED AND AM STILL SETTLING IN.

I'm German, but have been living in Trondheim for more than 17 years, so I am somewhat of a mixture between German and Norwegian by now. I have also lived in Saskatoon and Oxford for a couple of months, and most of my friends are basically spread all over Europe and North America.

When I am in a good mood, I am very outgoing, social and a firework of a person, but there also might be times when I go back to my inner "cave" to recharge my batteries - you can call me an introvert who has a quite extrovert job (when I am guiding). I don't have problems being alone, though I love people in general. (It helps if they come in small numbers.)

I am a very independent person. Stubborn. Funny (I hope! ;-) ). Reliable. Sometimes scared, but that doesn't stop me from doing things. Always trying to do the "right" thing, judging by my own standards and values.

Motto? Live and let live, maybe. I'm trying to make the world at least a tiny bit better than I found it upon my arrival, but I'm not trying to rescue everybody. I also believe that the meaning of life is to find fulfilment in it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Simply love the idea - when travelling, the experience is so totally different from staying at a hotel or hostel. You see the place with the eyes of a local, you meet interesting people, etc. When hosting, it is nice to be reminded that the world is bigger than the city you are living in and that you can see it with the eyes of a stranger.

I also believe strongly in hospitality, and by hosting somebody or by being an interesting and thankful guest, you are spreading good karma, making the world a better place to live.:-)

The best couchsurfing experience arises usually when the host and the guest treat each other like (old) friends - my opinion.

ATTENTION: Please send me individual requests, showing me that you have read my profile and have an idea why you would like to surf with me. It's nice to read about your plans, but this should not be the only content of a request. Personalising does not mean to just exchange the name of the person writing to - if you applied for a job, you would also write a different cover letter each time and not just exchange the name of the company. I get ca. one request each day during the summer (even if I say "maybe hosting"!), and if you want to be one of the relative few persons I host, you have to stick out in a positive way.

Just needing a free bed or just wanting a free guided tour are NOT good reasons to contact me, and your chances of success are minimal in that case. (Not to forget that getting those requests in the inbox all the time really kills my motivation of offering my guest bed.)
Please remember that the experience should be fun for both parties.

For questions about Trondheim, please feel free to contact the tourist information or read Visit Trondheim's homepage. (They are paid to answer questions, I have to do this in my spare time.)
If I agree to host you, I am, however, willing to share my knowledge with you unconditionally. :-)

Your chances of me hosting you will increase if you give me a few days notice. They will also increase if you have a complete profile and are not just surfing, but have also hosted - the couchsurfing system can only work if it is a give and take.

Sorry for all of these dos and don'ts, but I try to continue to be motivated to host, and a few basic rules make it a lot easier. :-)

Interests

Ok, here's a try: love music (most kinds) and play the piano and viola, the later also in a string quartet. I used to play soccer and love to join in wherever a couple of people with a ball meet, no matter if it's soccer, volleyball, basketball,... I go once a week to my yoga centre. I enjoy swimming, hiking and skiing, but I am not doing these regularly. I write and read and love the art of story-telling, no matter which medium. I travel when I can and love to discover life. I like nature, thus it feels good to live in Norway where there's so much of it. (I am, however, not a hardcore outdoor person. ;-) ) I am also fond of gardening, will have to see what is happening in that direction at my new place. Also, I love knitting knitting in front of the fireplace in winter!

At the same time, I appreciate all the cultural activities cities can offer. When going out, I often prefer a tea/hot chocolate and the opportunity to talk to clubbing. I get very quickly tired in noisy and crowded surroundings. The movies are a good choice, too, preferably intelligent (independent) films, no matter from which country. I also have a passion for good food, I am interested in cooking and baking, and I am not very tolerable on an empty stomach. ;-)

• arts
• books
• dining
• cooking
• chocolate
• baking
• yoga
• movies
• traveling
• knitting
• music
• piano
• viola

Music, Movies, and Books

I do not think there is really a chance to fit everything I like into this box, but I can try to give you a hint.:-)
Music: I love classical music - best to be discovered from the inside of an orchestra. Brahms is probably the composer I can best relate to. Bach and Beethoven have written wonderful music, too - I especially like Beethovens piano sonatas and some of Bach's music for solo string instruments. In general, I love chamber music and play in a string quartet just for fun. I also love jazz, f.ex. female singers like Nina Simone or practically anything that will include a piano. Singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake. Old disco music to dance to.+++

Literature: Jane Austen. Uwe Johnson. Saul Bellow. Ingeborg Bachmann. Erich Kästner. Kurt Tucholsky. Arne Garborg. Torborg Nedreaas. Agnar Mykle. Edith Wharton. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. W.G. Sebald. Shakespeare. Virginia Woolf. But I also like modern literature, as long as it is "heavy" enough.

Film: I hate films with a bad script - don't try to razzle-dazzle me, please. In general few horror/thriller/action movies. I cannot tolerate a lot of violence, so I f.ex. had to give up on watching Kill Bill.

Arts: Especially expressionist paintings and photography, but it is easy to get me into any art museum.

TV/DVD: At the moment, I do not have TV! So I watch only internet TV and DVDs every now and then. Mostly news, documentaries, sitcoms, films.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In terms of travelling: I biked around Scandinavia for 9 weeks. One of the best ways to discover new places and to get at peace with yourself.:-) I've also travelled North America for half a year, and there are so many great memories. Sitting in the jacuzzi close to the sea in the hostel on the Gaspé peninsula. Driving over cosy Prince Edward Island or along the rugged Nova Scotia coast. Visiting the lonely Viking site of L'Anse-aux-Meadows in the fog. Hawaii. Isn't life great?:-)

In terms of work: I was hired once to haunt a house for Halloween! Other than that, I really loved to work for the chamber music festival in Stavanger as a masterclass coordinator. Loved the music, loved the other volunteers, loved the musicians. Plus that feeling that you can create something great of basically nothing. :-)

Private: Searching for connection, the feeling of "coming home" to a person, no matter if friend or lover. Precious moments. Don't waste your life with people that you know cannot give you that feeling, you will feel much more lonely than if you were alone.

Teach, Learn, Share

Baking & cooking, knitting, backgammon, fixing a punctured bike? Don't know what you are looking for here.
My approach to life: You can basically do anything somehow, but you might be able to become much better at it.:-) Google and youtube can give you in many cases the information needed, but of course it is fun to learn personally from a master, too!

I am not a big fan of putting too much emphasis on the teaching part. Couchsurfing is - in my opinion - not about an exchange of services. Yes, there should be somewhat of a balanced approach to the experience in terms of giving and taking, but it should not become something like a dysfunctional marriage in which the partners focus on who has done the dishes more often or who was the last one to clean the windows. :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Usually stories and food or small presents - make a wish if you are interested in something particular!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom

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