Instagram: @_al_paka_

Hello everyone!

I am currently in Cologne doing a PhD in Meteorology!

I'm a physicist and I got my degree at the University of Bologna.
Actually, I didn't spend so much time in Bologna but I tried to be an 'erratic' student 😆
Especially thanks to exchange programs I was able to wander around the world while studying without wasting a lot of time and money ;)

WHERE DID I LIVE?
2015-2016: My first Erasmus in Lisboa 🇵🇹 This experience changed me completely and I decided to make travelling one of the most important parts of my life.
2018: Overseas exchange in Florianópolis 🇧🇷, my first time outside Europe. Surely, one of the most exciting experiences of my life and where I got fluent in Portuguese.
2019: I decided to do an Internship in Tampere 🇫🇮 for five months, There, I felt in love with the Finnish sauna so. when I returned from Tampere I built it one at my parents' house.
2021: Being tired of lockdowns, I decided to spend the summer in Tenerife, doing volunteering in organic farms while enjoying the beauties of this island and learning Spanish 🇪🇸 There I also learnt Spanish, my fourth language!
2022: My first 'proper' backpacking in South America. I travelled for five months between Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia 🇵🇪🇧🇴🇨🇴 Surely a mind-blowing experience but also very tiring.
Now: I live in Cologne 🇩🇪 where I am pursuing a PhD. I have also been here in 2022-23 for a semester abroad during my second master degree.

MY DREAM
In the past one of my biggest dream was to set foot in every country in the world 🌍🌎🌏
I was travelling as much as I could and probably I was travel addicted.
I really enjoy discovering new places and meeting interesting people all around the world but recently I am getting tired of moving from one place to another and I am also quite concerned about the environmental footprint of this kind of travelling. That's why I am looking for a new way of travelling and in general enjoying life.
I am trying to pursue a slower (and healthier) lifestyle according to the economic theory of regrowth, most likely the only way to reconcile ourselves with the planetary boundaries and still be able to satisfy all our basic needs.

ABOUT ME
I consider myself as friendly, easy-going, honest, serious, open-minded, and always determined to reach my goals.
I have a boundless curiosity so I'm always looking for new experiences and something new to learn!!
I am quite an active person. I love almost any kind of sport that is possible to do outside. Hiking and yoga are the ones I love most. Recently, I am also into powerlifting.

MY PHILOSOPHY
Leave the world in a better condition than you found! 🌼

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is not just a free bed but offers much more.
It gives you the opportunity to learn more about the culture of the country that you are visiting without a boring tour guide.
Morover, you can travel and at the same time feel like at "home".

Interests

• animals
• culture
• photography
• festivals
• cooking
• yoga
• running
• meditation
• reading
• traveling
• drawing
• music
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• sports
• swimming
• languages
• neuroscience
• physics
• psychology
• study abroad
• tourism
• beaches
• mountains
• art
• food
• desert
• party
• pizza
• veganism
• happiness
• degrowth
• enviroment
• climate chenge
• planetary boundaries

Music, Movies, and Books

I like all kind of music. I listen to different songs according to my mood and to the situation. For example:
-While I'm studying: Classic/Piano music
-During a boring afternoon: Rock/Indie/Tribal
-At the party: Electronic/Funky/Latin
-On the train/bus: Shuffle Playback

I read all kind of books, from novels to travel books.

I like to watch tv series: my favourites are Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, Bojack the Horseman, Spartacus, Stranger Things, Casa de Papel, 3%, Under the dome, Sense8, Lost, Orange is the new black, The 100, Dark, Vis a vis.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

1. Three days of trekking in one of the most incredible places on the earth: Lençois Maranhenses (Brazil).
2. Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean with luminescent plankton at night! (Brazil)
3. Hitchhiking in Algarve with no planned destination (Portugal)
4. Riding a moto-quad through the yellow dunes of the Sahara Desert (Morocco)
5. Paragliding in the Sibillini mountains, close to my hometown (Italy)
6. Taking the Ferry in the Amazon River and sleeping in a Hammock with the locals (Brazil)
7. Watch the Northern Lights and their curvy shapes reflected in a lake in the cold far Nord (Finland)
8. Walk through the railway to get to Machu Picchu (Peru)
9. Scuba Diving in the Caribbean Sea (Colombia)
10. Climbing a glaciers in Huaraz (Peru).

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach Italian and share my knowledge about climate and meteorology

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can cook for you!!!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City State, Wales, Åland Islands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, Finland, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain