Hi there! My name is Elise and I am from the Netherlands. I made a couchsurfing account years ago but never really used it. I'd like to change that now! Like most people on this platform, I love travelling! We all have our own reasons why we love travelling, for me it's all about learning more about other cultures, trying different kinds of food, meeting new people, and learning about all the history I was not taught in school :)

I consider myself to be a curious, open minded and reserved person (this all depends on the people I am with though haha). I also love getting into a good discussion granted people won't throw a "know-it-all" attitude at me. If there is something I can't stand, it has to be this (oh and seafood, gross..).

I usually travel alone. No, not because I am looking for a husband, but because in this way I get to experience ultimate freedom. No making plans with anyone, no comprises, nope, it's just me. Amazing. I also feel you connect more easily with other people this way.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people, obviously. I love meeting new people from all corners of the world. Hear more about their travel stories and what drives them in life :)

Interests

• culture
• books
• photography
• politics
• reading
• hiking
• kayaking
• astronomy
• geopolitics
• history
• languages
• medicine
• philosophy
• psychology
• travel
• nature
• cities
• eating food :)

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to all kinds of music in all sorts of languages, except Dutch, music made in this language should be made illegal.. I also don't like metal or electro music.

I don't watch a lot of movies, and I have to think really hard for a favourite one. Okay, let's just skip to TV series instead 😂 I prefer TV series because it has more character development and can really go into detail into the worlds of the characters. Something that movies don't really have if you ask me. I love anything that has fantasy in it, so for example Once Upon A Time, Stranger Things, Shadowhunters, the 100 etc. The same applies to books really. Though I also love reading historical books or books about travel adventures of other people. Probably my favourite one is of a Dutch woman cycling to her friend's birthday... Except she lives in Australia! That story was very inspiring to me.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I guess surviving 2020 counts, right?
Other than that I did the Trans Mongolian Express, which is a train journey from Moscow to Beijing. Yes, you make stops along the way, but the longest time I spent on board was 3 days. This sounds long but it flew by because I shared my compartment with two super kind and funny Belgian girls!

Teach, Learn, Share

Can tell you about my life and childhood in the Netherlands. I'd like to hear how other people grew up and exchange travel stories.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Unfortunately can't host people since I'm moving all the time, sometimes moving back with my parents who don't want to have 'strangers' at their place. But I am good company and you can have interesting discussions with me. I can also help around the house.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Netherlands