Filiz Toprak's Photo

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  • Last login 5 days ago

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Overview

  • 34 references 29 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English, Turkish; learning Spanish
  • 44, Female
  • Member since 2011
  • Independent
  • M.Sc.
  • From Ankara, Ankara, Türkiye
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

Taking it a day at a time. I want to see more of the world and to meet more people who are into the similar. From my perspective, effective communication is key in couchsurfing.

ABOUT ME

I have been in the US since 2011.
I spent five months in Mexico in 2017. I miss those days sorely.
I have been told I have a wicked sense of humour. I happen to agree.

PHILOSOPHY

What was the question again?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

As of 2019, I have a YUGE deficit in the number of people I’ve hosted because I’ve been slacking. I’m looking to work on balancing the ratio of surfers to hosts to people I meet (“personal” references) as close to 1:1:1 as I can to pay it forward.

I also cross-post Reno Horrible events (on Meetup and Facebook) on Couchsurfing to offer visitors through Reno some fun. I hope this will also allow some good interactions with locals.

I like couchsurfing owing to the possibilities of experiencing locales as the locals do. It is so much better that way. My Mexico adventure was so much richer for it. Hotels, hostels, etc. have their own place. I have also come across some people who frown upon mention that it also provides cost savings, as if that’s the driver behind a lot of requests. That might be the case for some, and when I was hosting I had no problems acknowledging that reality as, during my Mexico trip, I had no income, and I couldn’t have gone so long without feeling the bite in my budget as accommodation is the single biggest item in the pie chart of daily spending (per my experience). Regardless, I will not be a burden to you and you to me.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

September 15/16, 2012 - first couch surfing experience. Fast forward to May, 2017 - first hosting experience. Then I took off to Mexico and experienced the couchsurfing landscape there.

Interests

Hiking, lounging, reading...

  • walking
  • reading
  • hiking

Music, Movies, and Books

Blah blah blah

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I created a Meetup group called Reno Horrible People where we come together to play "horrible" games like Cards Against Humanity, Joking Hazard, What Do You Meme, Disturbed Friends, etc., about once a week. I wish I had done it earlier. Other people have said the same to me. You need that sort of silliness once a week. I cross-post our events on Couchsurfing as well. Check them out!

Teach, Learn, Share

Everything and nothing in particular.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Nowadays I eat mostly a meat-based diet. I have no issues with other people’s dietary preferences, however please do not take me as being rude if I turn down any foods you might offer to share. I’m on the so-called “carnivore” diet (somewhat relaxed about it) and have cut off sugars and carbohydrates. (I will occasionally eat seasonal fruit or fresh quality vegetables, which is not easy to come by, and I will enjoy a tablespoon of honey with my tea as a treat. I enjoy less sugar endlessly more this way.) It started off as self-experimentation after three people I met in Mexico and whom I kept in touch with shared the benefits of this way of eating on social media (another benefit of couchsurfing in terms of the variety of people you meet). Differently from them, I discovered relief from digestive issues I didn’t know I had. Right now I don’t think I can go back to eating how I used to. It’s a sacrifice but has been worth it for me.
I will also not eat food cooked with vegetable/seed oils as they give me inflammation. I am finding I have to turn down a lot of offers, hence the need to be up-front about this. Any questions, I would be happy to answer.

Countries I’ve Visited

Aruba, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Brazil, China, Germany, Jordan, Turkey

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