To the men on Couchsurfing: I'm happy to host or meet those with good intentions and strong references 😊🙏 I'm here to make genuine friendships and support fellow travellers—nothing more.
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Hej hello namaste!

My name is Josefine and I am a world citizen from Sweden. I have spent the past 7 years solo travelling and exploring the world. I've so far visited 50+ countries and lived in Sweden, Norway, England, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India and Ghana. Recently(ish) finished my Master's in International Development and Management at Lund University followed by a year in South India with a rural women's organisation. JUST moved to Malmö, Sweden after spending previous year working remotely from 12 countries.

I love spending time in the nature, exploring new places, making friends, cooking and learning. I'm trying to spread positivity and love around me. I carry an open mind and you will almost always find a smile on my face. I am a social introvert enjoying to spend time with others sharing good energy. Although I also need my me-time, preferably alone in the nature ♥️

Once in a while I like to challenge myself and try out new stuff. I've done bungy jumping, skydiving, paragliding, white water rafting and black water rafting. I've got a diving and climbing certificate. I'm a 200 + 300 + 300 hour licenced yoga instructor with specialisation in yoga therapy and a Zumba instructor (though I haven't started teaching yet).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Using Couchsurfing is simply the best way to experience a new place and to meet interesting people from all over the world. Some of the most kind hearted, interesting and loving people I've ever met are from Couchsurfing.

I've hosted some awesome people in the tiny village where I use to live in Norway, in Sweden and in England. I've met up with CSers and surfed with community members from all over the world. I am extremely thankful being able to use CS while traveling.

After being a CS member for 8 years, thankfully, most of my experiences are good ones. Couchsurfing is in my opinion the best and funniest way to experience a new place. Also it allows you to keep your budget down, which is especially welcomed as a student 😊

Interests

While traveling I enjoy hanging out with locals, trying out new food and to get off the beaten track exploring places where most tourists don't go. I love animals and probably have more animal selfies than with humans, and luckily animals seem to like me as well. I enjoy being impulsive with no set plans, which most often ending up in amazing adventures.

I've been to countless of music festivals while growing up, and I guess it's about time to get a new festival experience soon. I try to keep a positive attitude and cherish those moments when you laugh until you cry. I enjoy spending time alone, but also like to hang out with good spirited and kind hearted people (and animals).

I love chocolate. I recently changed my coffee addiction to having several cups of herbal tea a day. When I can, I prefer to walk or bicycle than taking other means of transport. Exploring a new place by foot is the best! Obviously I love traveling. I choose country side, mountains, sea side and stunning nature over big city life.

Even if I usually escape the cold Scandinavian winters, I do LOVE the change of seasons while spring being my favourite. When exploring a new place I make sure not to miss visiting local markets. Good food is life, and my favourite countries includes those where the street food is the cheapest yet most delicious way you can eat. I eat mainly plant based.

One of my most valuable takebacks from traveling is gaining knowledge about different cultures, customs and practises. Also, I enjoy trying out new food (normally not that adventurous, but tried fried ants once in the mountains of the Shan state in Burma).

I enjoy spending time outdoors as much as I like binge watching good TV series. I'm trying my best to incorporate practices of yoga and meditation in my life. Also, to make a positive impact and enjoy my short time on this earth!

• animals
• culture
• photography
• concerts
• music festivals
• cooking
• chocolate
• cheese
• picnic
• yoga
• meditation
• zumba
• reading
• music
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• languages
• volunteering
• mountains
• travel
• nature
• adventure
• beach
• cultures
• vegetarian food
• bicycle
• self-development
• cultural exchange
• peace
• sustainable development
• vegetarian cooking
• spontaneity
• nature walks
• budget traveling
• helping others
• hiking in the mountains
• development studies
• spontaneous adventures

Music, Movies, and Books

At the moment my 'Discover weekly' playlist at Spotify is all classical music as it is what I listen to when I study... Otherwise I have quite a mixed taste in music, influenced by songs I encounter while traveling.

I have playlists including everything from Bollywood hits, American chart music, old school britpop, traditional Arabic music, Swedish indie classics, 'Zumba songs', Ghanaian highlife, French old songs, instrumental and folk music from all over the world. While growing up, I spent much of my time finding out about upcoming bands and running to gigs.

I enjoy most well-made movies, but can't take Hollywood action and horror. Good thrillers and unique movies are my favourites. Tv series I've watched recently includes Peaky Blinders, Sherlock, The Handmaid's tale and Castle Rock. I also enjoy anime.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

(THIS IS AN OLD LIST BUT I'LL UPDATE SOON)

A few stuff:

- Going for jungle adventures in Bardia national park, Nepal during my week staying in a beautiful Taru village just by the park entrance. Went for 2 jungle walks (just me and 1-2 guides walking alone in the jungle) and saw rhinos, wild elephant, crocodiles, phyton, deers, many monkeys, birds etc. and... Finally after waiting for hours at a famous tiger spot a saw a huge bengal tiger! Awesome experience. Also heard two tigers making huge roarings close by while being deep in the jungle during jeep safari. And had to flee from a hoard of wild elephants making a warning sound (my most scary moment in the jungle).

- Watching world championship of elephant polo in Bardia, Nepal. Very unique experience. Had VIP seat= Plastic chair JUST by the elephant polo field ready to run away when the elephants came to close.

- Being showed around a Hindu temple by the coolest 7 year old kid ever taking all my pictures (some of the best pictures of all my travels, letting me dance, hang out and eat with the elders of her tribe (no body speaking english), meeting many other school kids on picnic (picnic in Nepal: hire an standard old bus ready to fall apart, go to visit a temple, bring loads of food and put on Bollywood music as high the bus speakers allow and DANCE as there is no tomorrow) and got convinced by them and their teachers to dance with them

- Staying in a Berber village by Sahara desert with a local family for almost one week. Went for walks through the desert and spent a night in the desert where I saw the most amazing sunset, sunrise and night sky sleeping under the stars

- Hiking for 21 days from Shivalaya to Everest Base Camp 5364 masl. That was one of the top moments in my life. Never done a long hike before and the first half of the trip is one of the hardest hikes in Nepal (8-9 hours a day of walking UP and DOWN mountains as high as 3000+ masl with 15kg on my back. And also the hardest thing I ever done (except for insanity boot camp).

- Staying in total over 5 months in Nepal, the most beautiful country with most wonderful people. Except for everest base camp I did many day hikes and shorter hikes around Nepal and I met so many nice and curious people around the country. Beautiful scenery with mountains, lakes, jungles and temples.

- I stayed with a family taking care of 11 orphan kids outside of Kathmandu for over 2 months in Nepal. Had a wonderful time, they are now like my family and I will go back to them soon.

- I experienced the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal.

- Did a 10 day Buddhist meditation course at Kopan Monastary that truly changed my way of seeing life and my existence. Would recommend it to anyone! (Even if you never intend to become a Buddhist, neither am I).

- I volunteered 1 month in Sri Lanka with elephants. Was taking care of the lovely Rani cleaning her "elephant bed" in the mornings (=throwing away 60-80 elephant dung big as footballs and countless of palm leaves), helping her mahout with her daily bath in the river (damn hard work brushing elephant skin with a coconut shell. Took me 1 month to get the grip of it!), giving her daily medicine (=putting my whole hand in her mouth), assisting the vet, brushing her feet etc. Also was collecting elephant dung for the paper factory next by and was teaching kids in a near by village english. Got rewarded for my hard work by an elephant ride and elephant shower by Rani in the river!

- Had magical moments watching hundreds of fireflies in the djungle by night where the elephants I was working with were sleeping

- Was hosted by Livia on a tiny island in Indonesia that had seen no white woman with blond hair before. We had such a good time together, tried a lot of tasty home cooked and fresh sea food, walked around the narrow roads of their truly beautiful little fishing village, visited their school and their stunning newly built mosque. We went on a over night camping trip with her boyfriend and another couch surfer coming visiting to an inhabited paradise island. The ride there in a tiny boat by local fishermen that was leaking in, experiencing huge waves, with no life west, sitting under a tarp on the floor praying to get there alive. But it was so much worth it! And the freshly caught seafood by Diska and prepared by Livia was amazing.

- I saw the most amazing sunset sitting on a cliff by the sea in the middle of Kullaberg nature reserve while living there in an old cottage in the forest by myself during the summer. After this peaceful moment I managed to not find my way home while hiking back up the mountain and through the forest in complete dark. I have to admit I got a bit tired of being lost and alone, so ended up running through a field with high grass in order get back home. I'm glad nobody saw me.

- Being fortune enough to spend the last 3 summer seasons in magnificent Norway. The scenery in Norway. OH MY! One of the most beautiful country I've visited. I'm thankful to have been able to live by the mountains surrounded by about 200 km of ski tracks starting outside my door during previous winter and by the fjords, waterfalls, mountains and simply amazing nature in the summer.

- Off road driving in the desert around Doha, Qatar and joined a BBQ party by the ocean in the desert where we ate, danced and swam until early morning.

- Biking Rallarvegen in Norway on a sunny day with blue sky is one of the most scenic adventures I've done. Even saw a rainbow in a small waterfall just by the road. Took the Flåm Railway and biked up, up, up the mountains (the opposite way most people biked except for 2 other real biking enthusiast I met on the way) . I went as far I had time to go (around 1000 masl) and then down home to 16 masl. A whole day adventure!

- While inter railing around Europe I loved my stay in Riomaggiore, the most beautiful little village by the sea in Italy. Had barely 5 minutes to the small beach where I found a stone working perfectly to lean my back on. I felt the sea waves on my feet and it was the only spot on the beach with sand and not smaller rocks where you could put your towel down. There I ate focaccia and strawberries to breakfast and read a book every day.

- Being hosted on a sailing boat in NYC! Such a unique experience

- Watching sunrise by a temple on a mountain in Sri Lanka after hiking for 4 hours and without any sleep. Was surrounded by the most beautiful scenery!

- Facing my fears in New Zealand! I'm affraid of heights but still managed to do Skydiving in Taupo, repelling and Black water rafting in Waitomo and Nevis bungy jump in Queenstown

- Taking PADI diving course in Sri Lanka

- Snorkelling and diving at the most amazing places including Fiji, Australia and Thailand.

- Saw the biggest and most beautiful double rainbow in Flåm valley in Norway, over high snow capped mountains and waterfalls. Seen many amazing rainbows around Flåm while hiking or biking up the mountains

- Hiking, bambo rafting, drinking rise wine, hanging out, staying in a self-made bambo house and crashing a wedding with minority people in Cambodia

- Hiking to hill tribes in Myanmar and visited pretty little villages who barely seen foreigners before. Had the most delicious meals and experienced a moment struggling to explain I needed to use the bathroom to the rebel army resting in the same house as me.

Many adventures done and even more to come!

Teach, Learn, Share

I believe it's always interesting to learn about other's worldviews, opinions and life experiences.

I can teach you my view of life,
the Swedish language, some fencing moves, yoga, zumba and sharing travel stories from my years of adventures around the world.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Entusiasm for exploring the place where you live 😊

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Fiji, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Monaco, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ghana, India, Nepal, Norway, Sri Lanka, Sweden, United Kingdom