Ciao a tutti! I am Giulia, I am 28 and I come from Milano, Italy.
After contemporary Italian literature studies at uni and some internships in the publishing field, at the moment I work as Personal Assistant in a HR consulting firm here in Milano. I studied/lived/worked in Estonia (I did my Erasmus in Tartu) and Portugal (in Viseu with the Leonardo da Vinci Project). I am a book lover and an avid traveller, trying to combine my passions as a reader/traveller/travel writer in my free time :-) you can find my blog at www.saudadinhas.com (the name means "little saudade", a kind of untranslatable Portuguese word made of bittersweet feelings & memories...)
That said, I firmly believe that "the world is a book and those who do not travel only get to read one page". And travelling is a wide concept that goes beyond its literal meaning, it's an attitude of curiosity and openess to the world. I love to see new places and to visit over and over again the places I love - but I also love to see the world through the eyes and tales of the people I meet.

Most of the time I travel with Angelo, my boyfriend. We have been travelling together for many years & meeting so many beautiful people. He is a super friendly electrical engineer with a big beard and a kind heart :-)

Long story short, I am a calm, easy-going, cheerful girl who loves to travel, meet new friends and learn always something new. The perfect moment: sun, friends, and some beers on the table ;-)

PHILOSOPHY

"Considerate la vostra semenza: fatti non foste a viver come bruti, ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza." Dante's Inferno, Chapter 26
(Consider ye the seed from which ye sprang; Ye were not made to live like unto brutes, But for pursuit of virtue and of knowledge)

And I borrow also John Donne's words:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

After my Erasmus, I realized how good it was to have an international network of friends from all over the world. I started travelling around Europe visiting them and hosted them when they came to my city. It felt good because you really can see a place in a different, more authentic way. Then I thought, hey, I could try CS and meet more international friends!! So I created my profile a couple of years ago but, after that, I did not have the chance to do any CS experience until last summer in Montenegro. Finally I tried, and I enjoyed it very much :-)
The CS philosophy is something really easy and powerful at the same time - I am happy to be part of this community and will try to give my best hosting and being hosted.
... and you also get to save money so it's a win-win way of life&travel ;-)

Interests

My family, my friends, books, languages, literature, semiotics, ludolinguistics, travel blogs, writing, photography, my dogs, food, sea, nature, movies.
I like to study new languages and I am currently trying to learn Spanish and Russian.
I am definetely not a sporty person, but I like to walk, hike and swim in sea and lakes when I can.

• dogs
• writing
• books
• literature
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• politics
• movies
• traveling
• blogging
• hiking
• backpacking
• swimming
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite authors: Dostoevskij, Queneau, Emily Dickinson, Irvine Welsh, Zadie Smith, Piero Chiara, Georges Perec, Antonio Tabucchi, Fernando Pessoa, Fernanda Pivano. Last book I read was Half of a Yellow sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - beautifully written.
About music I am quite eclectic; I think there is a music for every situation and moment.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Backpacking around South East Asia for 2 months during the summer of 2013 with my boyfriend Angelo - the best travel buddy .
Now trying to visit all the European capitals before our 30th birthday :-)

Teach, Learn, Share

The great thing about knowledge is that the more you learn the more you want to learn! I am incredibly grateful when I have the chance to learn new things, from politics and history to silly songs in other languages.

What I Can Share with Hosts

From my side, I will be happy to share my stories, tips and cooking skills :-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Estonia, Italy, Portugal