Hello, hello, Dear Couchsurfing people,

My name is Hidde and I like to meet other Europeans in my summer vacations, all the while experiencing the culture and nature of my dear continent. This summer, all things go a little bit different. Yet in line with -and with special attention to - the official advice of authorities, I have decided to still do some traveling through Central Europe this summer. Couchsurfing is how I would usually get around, and I would like to see whether people are still willing to kindly offer me a place to sleep. Please, if you feel like hosting me, but have COVID-related reservations, tell me if you want me to take special repercussions. I am very flexible in this regard, ok with keeping physical distance, and carry sufficient masks and disinfectant.

Having covered that, a little bit about myself:
I am a student from Groningen, my study programme is a convoluted mess that involves International Relations, some Cognitive Science and Critical Theory and I have studied some Russian, which I am always up for refreshing. While I am broadly interested and like to learn about most things, I especially love exchanging thoughts on politics and culture. Not a huge party guy, I generally prefer a sit-down cafe over a full night of clubbing. I’m not one of those who consider CouchSurfing a type of free (or rather cheap nowadays) hostel, so for me the social element is important. Yet at the same time I respect people’s schedules and can easily amuse myself on my own if needed.

The main reason I use Couchsurfing is because I feel like it is one of the best ways to have meaningful interactions with people while traveling. When I go someplace and only meet people in commercial contexts (as most tourism works), I feel like I never get fully honest answers to my questions and like I can’t get an authentic of what life like here. I don’t fly anymore, so my vacations are de facto limited to Europe. This, together with the fact that I have more time than money, means I have a lot of attention for detail, and don’t really need to focus on seeing major attractions. My interest goes to the small, the strange, the easy-to-miss and the hard-to-forget.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

It's a great concept with the potential to bring people closer together!

Interests

History, art, politics, having a good time :)

• arts
• literature
• poetry
• architecture
• concerts
• politics
• music
• art history
• history
• international relations
• philosophy
• nature
• linguistics
• cognition

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I mostly listen to jazz, blues, psychedelic rock, and classical
A few authors like: Kafka, Biesheuvel, Bulgakov
A few directors I like: Jodorowsky, Kubric, Tarkovski, Lynch

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I got lost in the Sahara desert once, without water...

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach the languages I know, as well as playing the harmonica, and I am always keen in exchanging life views/philosophical systems

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm told I give good movie recomendations. Also I can write you absurd poetry.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands