CURRENT MISSION

Planning my year in Paris and Singapore!

ABOUT ME

Hey guys! I am Hendrik, a former country boy from a tiny village near Hamburg, Germany. Now, however, I live and study in the cold and rainy but lovely city of Glasgow. For me, as for most people here I assume, the most important thing in life is to get to know as many different people, personalities, cultures, life stories, inspirations, follies... as possible via travelling and always finding myself in the weirdest situations.
This curiousity and open-mindedness, however, is combined with a good deal of the "German values" (reliability, punctuality, having a master plan, eating loads of sausages) I am so proud of ;)

PHILOSOPHY

Embrace the possibilities! We are lucky enough to have the chance to actually do something with our lives and make it worthwhile. I like to find something that gives my life a meaning and that makes me happy every day I go to sleep. I want to do things that bring me further in my development and never let me stop developing through the daily experiences.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I mainly particpiate by travelling to exciting new countries and try to find someone who is able to give me a personal and invaluable inside view. Of course, I am more than happy to welcome travellers on my own couch in my tiny room in the student accommodation in Glasgow as well. Warning: It is really tiny ;)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I did much WWOOFing in Australia and stayed at random people's houses after they were so friendly to give me a lift. Amazing experiences. During my last year in Iceland/USA/Canada, I mainly used couchsurfing to meet people in the cities I went to. Like this, I found a great running group in Montreal, for example, with which I am still in contact.

Interests

My all-time hobby is running in every imaginable form from a small roadrace in Winsen (Luhe) to stunning ultra-marathons in Kenya, Iceland or the Swiss Alps. But in general, I just love (!!!) being outdoors: Hiking in the Himalaya, Mountainbiking and Skiing in the Alps, Sailing in Scandinavia, Windsurfing in Denmark, Quad Biking in the Australian Outback - It's just cool to do something out there. Unfortunately, I am not the creative kind of guy. No playing the guitar or ukulele, I am afraid. But I am always up for a good chat and to try out something new.

• cooking
• marathon
• running
• technology
• traveling
• socializing
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• windsurfing
• sailing
• skiing

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
I guess for all three categories goes the same: I don't have a specific genre I like the most. I am pretty flexible, and whatever fits my mood is fine. But I don't like Dubstep.
Movies:
The German classic "Die Feierzangenbowle" is just the best! Otherwise: See above. There is no type I adore the most.
Books:
With books I am slightly more picky. The books I like the best are historic dramas or teh ones about real human beings who have achieved extraordinary things and are inspiring through their personality.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In 2011, the Kenyan elite runner, Stanley Leleito, invited me to live with him and his family in Kenya for five months to prepare for the German Marathon Championships.
In this time I have not only lost 12kg and increased my endurance. Most importantly, I had an absolutely amazing insight into the life in Central Africa. It's a continent you definitely want to vistit!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:
Anything about endurance-type training. If you'd like to run your first marathon, go on a 1,000k cycling trip or just want some motivational advice, I guess, i am a good guy to talk to.
Learn:
I am not much use when it comes to manual skills. Cooking, fixing a lawn-mower and pretty much anything that has something to with technology are just not my thing - unfortunately. It would be awesome to find people who can teach me some skills that enable me to actually survive on my own in the real world.
Share:
I love conversation about pretty much any topic. But what I am especially interested in are stories and tips about travelling in countries I haven't been to myself yet.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, France, Iceland, Kenya, Luxembourg, Nepal, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Germany, United Kingdom