My current sustainable lifestyle experiment is "Living on a train". I bought a one month train ticket from my hometown Östersund in north of Sweden to Stockholm. To explore the lifestyle of traveling around in Sweden comfortably and sustainably.

My vision is human beings living in harmony with ourself, each other and nature. I believe the human race is ready to evolve to the next stage, where 10 billion people thrive within planetary boundaries. This is the future I want to co-create with people who share this vision.

I want to dedicate my life to contribute to this transformation of our society. I start with myself and expand as I master every level. The current project is to prove that you can live a great life with a low ecological footprint.
greatlifelowfootprint.com

I just finished eight months of traveling (flying to India which I don't neglect have a huge carbon footprint).
-India (5 months)
-Nepal (1 month)
-Dubai (3 weeks).
- Iran (3 weeks). Hitchhiking and couchsurfing
- Turkey and Eastern Europe (2 weeks). Hitch, bus, train. Sleeping in the forest without a tent when I ran out of luck hitchin.

The purpose of this journey was to:
1) dive within and explore meditation and self-development practices to transform my inner world,
2) make good friendships with people from all over the world,
3) find a calling ahead, a direction to walk, what to put my heart and soul into ("Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe" - Lincolc. I'm spending some time to sharpen myself and find an area where I can serve before I re-engage in the world of works)

Here is the link to my blog:
http://franhandelstillhimalaya.wordpress.com/

Two ideas/projects I'm working on is two other blogs/websites
- A blog/website about ecofriendly traveling. For example, how to exchange air-traveling with train, sailing, hitchhiking, bicycling or other low footprint means of transportation.
- A blog/website with an overview of spirituality/positive psychology (paths to inner transformation) and the different paths and places that can support that journey.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

2) make good friendships with people from all over the world,

You get a more authentic experience of a place when you stay with locals. And in CS there is a lot of open minded people to have great conversations with :-).

Interests

- Meditation and yoga (my awakening for spirituality was during a 10 day Vipassana retreat a few years ago, also loved the retreat I did at Tushita Center in Dharamsala and Christmas retreat at Sivananda ashram in Rishikesh)
-Science
-Sports (running, gym, soccer, icehockey, athletics, etc)
-Music (play guitar and sing together, just got a ZOOM H2n that I can record with my traveling guitar)
-Nature/trekking

• singing
• theater
• dining
• cooking
• yoga
• running
• meditation
• flying
• traveling
• blogging
• music
• guitar
• sailing
• sports
• soccer
• business
• economics
• psychology
• science
• hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

BOOK
-Best book I've read. Happiness hypothesis, Haidt (covers basically all relevant concepts in psychology that I came across during two years of study at Uni)
-Second best: The story about Stuff (pedagogical, fact-based, and interesting book about ecological sustainability challenges derived from our consumption society)

MOVIE
-The Matrix, Into the Wild, Fight Club
-Gladiator
-The Notebook
-Cowspiracy

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Toastmasters Contest: "Dare to be different"
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152075239045892&set=vb.661285891&type=2&theater

Jammin on a train station in Germany
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151581629965892&set=vb.661285891&type=2&theater

Teach, Learn, Share

TEACH
- Business and Economics. For example, optimal investment strategy for an average-joe (like me :), according to financial theory and empirics, one of few theories within economics with actual support in data)
- Positive psychology. For example, paths to happiness
- Spirituality. Good places to start.
- Play guitar

LEARN
Blogging, programming, webdesign
Spirituality/self-development practices

What I Can Share with Hosts

Cook whole, plant-based food!
Play and sing some songs together :-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Sweden