I have lived more than four years abroad. One year in England, one year in Mexico, some months in Uganda, two years in Sweden and soon a couple of months in China. That's probably why wanderlust overcomes me every now and then and urges me to travel the world. The biggest adventure so far was an individual 3-months bus trip from Berlin to the border of China (, which I documented on this blog: helgegernhardt.jimdo.com).

At the moment I am traveling with my friend Gabriele. Our travels lead us from Manila all the way down to Jakarta. The challenge is to never fly, but to use boats and busses instead. The aim of the whole trip is not merely to arrive in Jakarta but to experience all the wonderful things on our way there. And if we don't make it all the way to Indonesia, it will still be worth trying so! In Germany, we say: "Der Weg ist das Ziel", which means as much as "The trip itself is the destination".

PS.: As a little challenge on the side, Gabriele and I have set the goal to do as much Couchsurfing as possible between Manila and Jakarta. We will offer our hosts Italian cooking skills from Gabriele, tales of great Couchsurfing adventures from Helge, and much much more! :D

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is so much more than having a place to sleep and stay. Doing Couchsurfing brings people together that otherwise would never have met. This makes couch surfing unique!

Furthermore, Couchsurfing is probably one of the best tools to further international understanding between the people of different nations... I think this website is something magic and I love to be a part of it!

Aaaaand, Couchsurfing is the best way to properly get to know other cultures. For example, without Couchsurfing, my bus trip from Berlin to the Chinese border, with the aim to get to know as many local people and cultures as possible, would not have been possible.

Interests

My interests are sports (Gym & Running),
friends (doohh--what a surprise, right?!),
interesting people and meeting new friends,
music ( Spotify is the best ), Sweden,
self-improvement and learning in a general sense,
languages, new cultures and much more...

• culture
• reading
• music
• sports
• languages
• learning
• self-development

Music, Movies, and Books

Books/Authors:
Cal Newport, The Great Gatsby, John Kenneth Galbraith, many others, aaaannndd I won't deny it: Harry Potter!
Biographies and Self-improvement books

Music:
I like all kinds of music (Electronic, Minimal, Classic, Indie etc.). However, when I am at the gym, it has to be hip hop..

Movies: I am not really critical of films and therefore like all different kinds of movies. The value I give to a movie depends very much on with whom I watched the movie.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was 18 I worked in an orphanage in a very poor area in Mexico: During that time I traveled alone by bus through the whole of Central America. The trip started in Guadalajara, Mexico and ended in Panama City, crossing Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Furthermore, in 2015 I went with public local buses from Berlin to the border of China, on my own. It took me three months, 11.000 km and let me chronologically through Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kasachstan, Uzbekistan, and Kirgisistan. I made loads of friends on the way and traveled extraordinary countries!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:
I can teach the German culture. But if you think that being taught German culture is too boring, with all those rules and being on time-stuff, than I can teach you juggling with three balls. And if I am in a good juggling-mood than I can even teach you to juggle with four balls. Yeah! ;)

Furthermore, I can "contaminate" with the urge to "LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE". Currently, I am deeply engaged with self-improvement stuff like speedreading, biographies, life philosophies, motivational tactics, life and work structures etc etc.!

Learn:
I want to learn nothing in particular. I just want to gain a deeper understanding of as many cultures as possible.

Share:
Happiness and International Integration - for a better understanding between cultures.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Gabriele, my travel companion, can share his Italian cooking-skills (he cooks deliciously!).

I can share my skills in "work-management". In fact, I have given seminars on effective and efficient work habits.

If the two above skills are too hard-core (which I totally agree with haha), then Gabriele and I are just two nice young folks, who can share friendship, laughter, and international understanding!

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Uganda, United Kingdom