CURRENT MISSION

Meet lots of nice people

ABOUT ME

Dirk: I'm 52 and grew up in Michigan. Following graduation from University of Michigan, I moved to Europe to work in the reinsurance inudstry. I spent 17 years in Hannover, Germany where I met my wife Petra and where our daughter Zoe was born. We have lived in the Zurich area for almost 14 years. My own family is spread all over the world (Mexico, California, Australia) and we love to travel.
Petra: I was born in Duisburg/Germany, studied veterinary medicine in Antwerp/Belgium and Hannover Germany. In 1997 we moved to Zurich/Switzerland: great country for outdoor-people like me.I love reptiles living and extinct ones like dinosaurs, and a good live concert (rock/Blues) once in while. I'm convinced that a lot of the stupid conflicts on this tiny blue planet could be avoided if people got to know each other better. So. let's go for it!
Zoe: Hi! I'm 18 and just graduated highschool :D I'm going couch surfing for the first time this summer on the euro-trip I am planning with my friends, and I'm loking forward to it immensely!! In September I'm going to study art at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, and I can't wait! I probably won't be here when you guys come to visit, but I can vouch for my parents to be amongst the most open and guest friendly people I know. We've already adopted several of my friends as semi-perminent residents:D I think couch surfing is a great opportunity for people to make friends around the world, which I can't wait to get started with!

PHILOSOPHY

"Es ist nicht deine Schuld. dass die Welt ist wie sie ist, es wär nur deine Schuld wenn sie so bleibt"
"Life's like a sewer. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it"
"Life's like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get"
"A mind is like a parachute: it only functions when open"

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

We would be happy to help you and show you around the area (although we are both working people, so we may not always have time). In winter there are great ski resorts close by, in summer there are fantastic opportunities for hiking and mountain biking. We live 5 walking minutes away from a direct tram into Zurich (20 mins) so the city is close by too. Our pool and grill and garden are available for chilling out and gathering tans or freckles ;) you can also feel free to borrow our mountain bikes for a local tour. We'd love to spend some time with you in the evenings to get to know each other better. Be it over a game of cards, an international cook off or just some chat over wine :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

We have always had an open house for people passing through (relations (however distant), friends, and party animals :)

Interests

Dirk is a ski-nut, so beware ;p He's otherwise interested in politics, international affairs, live-music, etc.
Petra's interests: anything to do with zoology! i love to learn about all the weird little creatures on this planet, no matter how many legs :) I love to learn more about other cultures and languages (I'm currently learning chinese), and i love traveling. For example i'm planning a bike tour through Yunnan. I already mentioned openair festivals and concerts : always a great time.

• animals
• reptiles
• arts
• design
• concerts
• festivals
• cooking
• recipes
• wine
• walking
• partying
• gardening
• politics
• trivia
• traveling
• billiards
• music
• rock music
• blues
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• skiing
• snowboarding
• boxing
• languages
• medicine

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Friend Green Tomatoes, Dead Poet Society, Awakenings, Anything with Bruce Willis in it, The Incredibles, The Matrix, Shrek, etc.
Music: good rock, blues, funk and jazz music. not techno/house fans. (Zoe listens to anything from 30's jazz to System of a Down, so we have taught her well). Favourite artists include: Queen, The Who, Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, ACDC, Rolling Stones, Paramore, SOAD, P!@D, P!nk, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Grinderman, Gotthard, Mowtown, soul, etc.
Books: THE GARGOYLE!!!!! The timetraveller's wife, anything by michael connelly, Harry Potter, Der Schwarm, Historic novels (noah gordon, james mitchner, james clavell), Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy!! Books by John Irving (a prayer for owen meany, cider house rules etc).

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Diving in the Carribbean, Kauaii, heli-skiing in Canada, Travelling in Namibia, ski-tour in Averstal, Cenote (Cave) Snorkeling in Yucatan, Learning how to snowboard at age 50, Sleeping in our garden under the stars, soon to be: Zoe's Euro-Trip!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach/share: Recipes, Philosophies, Rock Music Trivia, handling reptiles, ski-resorts
Learn: about other countries and cultures, good jokes, and anything you're willing to teach!