Hey, I’m Cel.
I love cold sunny days, writing letters, the sound of moving water and LOTS of garlic.

My interest in societal structures and how to hold people in power accountable for their actions has not only lead me into climate activism but also to studying Criminology in Manchester.
When I’m not on the streets or in the lecture hall, I like to dance tango and spend time with my friends outside. While I grew up in Germany, my favourite place and where I most feel home is a park in Winnipeg, Canada.

When my view on what surrounds me no longer gets me anywhere, I immerse myself in the worlds created in books or try to find a new perspective through my camera.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love the community and the opportunities that Couchsurfing offers. The possibility to find a home and friends in another place that you’ve never been to before is something utterly beautiful. I have Couchsurfed for most of the time when I was travelling together with my cousin and we have met so many kind and inspiring people that I wanted to continue being part of that community.

Interests

• writing
• photography
• tango
• human rights
• politics
• criminology
• activism
• climate justice

Music, Movies, and Books

My taste of music is all over the place, ranging from System of A Down, Parkway Drive, Red Hot Chili Peppers to Billie Eilish, Milky Chance and Sammy Rae and the friends. I’ll give any music genre/artist a shot, so hit me up with your music recommendations :)

I enjoy a good book, mostly reading autobiographies from activists and/or whistleblowers or books that are based on real stories.

Just as with books, I love to dive into the stories that movies create. One of my favourite things is to start crying in the cinema/when watching a movie because it shows me how deeply I can feel. My favourite movie by far is La La Land, I have watched this movie over 27 times at this point; it increases my happiness when I’m happy and calms me down when I’m sad. Some of my other favourite movies include: Wildhood, Beans, Fight Club, Okja, Pulp fiction, Clockwork Orange, V as Vendetta, Eyes Wide shut and Donnie Darko.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Last summer I travelled through Middle and Eastern Europe in order to get to know more about all those countries that are so close to where I grew up but that I still knew nothing about. During these travels I met many interesting people; going to impro-jazz concerts in Romania, being stuck in Serbia with Covid and shooting a vagina photo shoot in Turkey. These and many more encounters have taught me a lot about the perception of the EU today and the injustices and privileges within it.

One image that especially stuck in my mind is the following:
Glittering protest
A bride in a lift. Petals make the air glitter and the crowd starts to move.
The young generation demands to stay in the EU and a woman holds up a sign that says "I could have been on Pride in Ukraine but Russia is bombing our cities". Protest instead of parade. Every ten metres five policemen with baton, rifle and shield.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am still learning how to dance Tango but if you’re up for it we could try and practice the first steps together. I am also constantly trying to improve my photography skills, as well as my writing.

I am currently trying to freshen up my French again and could help you with learning German, if you’d like :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

While my recipes are limited, I do enjoy cooking and learning new recipes. I can make a pretty good pumpkin-tofu-lasagna, as well as banana bread and Baklava that I would love to share with you. I’ll help out wherever I can and would love to get to know more about you and your interests and passions.

Since I have been travelling and couchsurfing with my cousin before, we have used his account and so any references that I got are only available on his account to read: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/maxgh

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, England, Germany