Hi there! :) I am Laura, half Austrian and half Finnish, living in Innsbruck, Austria. I grew up with two different cultures under one roof and have been fascinated with other cultures ever since. I once represented the season of spring in a mountain magazine, "as my optimism is sprouting like flowers in spring" :D I love helping others and always have a sympathetic ear for those who need it.
I have a soft spot for people who don't take themselves nor life too seriously and am always up for philosophical conversations and crazy ideas. To me, optimism is key in life.

Open mind, open heart :)

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

Meeting new people and seeing their hometowns through their eyes, as well as seeing my own hometown through those of travellers. Every-day life can make us become blind to all the beauty of the local area and I am having the best time listening to enthusiastic recollections of days spent in Innsbruck while I was out at work. Makes me want to explore my city over and over again :)

I am here to collect experiences and memories and there is no better way to do so than by connecting with other people. I work in a multicultural environment and see the benefits of such a society every day in a professional setting and I would not want to miss it in my private life either.

I want to hear about everything - what are you passionate about, what was on your mind for a while now, which ups and downs did you experience in your life, last month, or since you got up this morning :)

Intereses

~Activity~
I love, love, love hiking! I am the happiest when I am somewhere on a mountain on my way to a mountain lake in which I will jump no matter the temperature. It is the moment when my blazing hot skin hits the icy cold water when I feel life to the fullest. When others call me crazy for this, I tell them about Wim Hof. My next goal is to swim on a glacier in 0°C cold water!

I also love contrasts - and as a half-Finn, it is almost obvious that I am also a big fan of saunas.

..and I also love nearly everything that involves water. I go stand-up paddling regularily in summer, got a license for windsurfing and scuba diving, booked a packraft tour for this June and will go cannyoning this year. I also went rafting and sailing and would love to try kite surfing!

~Creativity~
Writing:
My work involves medical writing which I enjoy, I also write in my journal daily and love writing generally. I started rewriting song lyrics when I was about 12 years old and I still do it sometimes for fun.

Gardening:
This January, I planted the seeds of the fourth generation of my own chilis! My balcony will be home for potatoes, tomatoes, chilis, various kinds of herbs, cucumbers, salad, strawberries, and hops.

... Hops?
Hops!:
I started brewing my own beer this year. The first batch is to be ready around the 20th of March. I am so excited already!

Cooking & baking:
I started getting experimental in my kitchen and especially in combination with my own herbs and chilis, I got really excited about cooking! My noodle salad always was the first thing to be finished at every BBQ I brought it to so far, I make mean appetizers and desserts (that will make you want to join me for a run :D) and love to learn from others!

Stuff that I sometimes do: sewing, knitting, painting, baking, pottery making

• writing
• cooking
• baking
• sauna
• gardening
• painting
• music
• hiking
• skiing
• swimming
• party
• sewing
• language learning
• bonfires
• brewing beer
• pottery making

Música, películas y libros

I love most music with only a few exceptions :) Schlager music is not really my cup of tea.

I rarely watch movies as I struggle with committing 2 hours to a TV - just imagine all the things I could do in that time instead! For example watch 6 20-minute episodes of a TV show I am watching! (Oh, the irony..)
However, I was glued to the TV when watching 127 hours.

I am currently reading a book about the invisibility of women in science.

Algo increíble que he hecho

I could not stand tomatoes for most of my life. Only by reevaluating every other time, I was able to experience the deliciousness of this fruit. Yay!!
So what does this mean to me in life? Me and my opinions and tastes are fluid. They might follow the same stream forever, but it is worth to stop and reevaluate from time to time.

Enseña, aprende, comparte

Happiness duplicates if shared. The only thing that is constant is change.

Qué puedo ofrecer a los anfitriones

A sympathetic ear and great interest in you and your story, company, recipes for Tabouleh, Karjalan Piirakka, Schnitzel, Kassspatzln, and other delicacies, some home-grown chilis, and the possibility to come visit me in the heart of the alps :)

Países que he visitado

Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, England, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia

Países en los que he vivido

Australia, Austria