Hi, it's Julia - a 23-year-old free spirit, a romantic soul, wanderlust with itchy feet and an adventurous heart. I've always longed for the world - it started with binging adventure novels when I was 10, then I discovered travel lit at the age of 12; at 15 I decided to one day become a treasure hunter and at 19 I finally started to make my dream of exploring the farthest corners of my world come true. Unfortunately, not long after that, the world closed its borders and I had to close my dreams in a jar and put them on a bookshelf.

The passion that took over my life in the past 3 years is writing. So far I've written mostly poetry, my first book of poems is being published later this year and I'm just SO excited! About half a year ago, I started working on my debut novel, the plot of which takes place in South East Asia. At some point in the creative process, I realized that the novel wouldn't be any good if I based it on pictures and tales only. I knew I needed to experience the cultures and nature for myself before I attempt to portray it in the novel. And so, with shaky hands, I dusted off my shelved dreams of a great adventure and bought a plane ticket.

The upcoming trip is probably the most important moment in my life so far. It's where the 10-year-old Julia who religiously collected every issue of the National Geographic magazine will meet the 30-year-old Julia who is hopefully an accomplished artist, writer. But apart from being a sacred experience, it's also going to be a lot of fun! I'm so looking forward to living in a backpack, journaling under a palm tree, taking a picture a day with my analogue camera, experiencing colours, tastes and smells I can't even imagine, and, first and foremost, meeting wonderful people, touching their lives and letting them touch mine.

ABOUT MY TRAVEL COMPANION
This time I'm travelling with my boyfriend. His name is Matt, he's 25. He grew up in Paris, he's a big fan of Formula 1 and has crazy knowledge about the cosmos. He must've been a philosopher in the past life because the conversations about life and the universe one could have with him until literally 3 a.m. are just uncanny. Unfortunately, he's not active on social media so I can't link any of his profiles, but I posted some pictures of him in my gallery. A quick get-to-know-him: his favourite movie is "Interstellar", his favourite music genre is pop, his favourite cuisine is Italian and he loves coffee.

I hope you'll become a part of our journey!:)
My Instagram: @halfiegh

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To me, travelling is not about just being somewhere, it's about experiencing every fibre of the new place. Hotels just don't do it for me, but Couchsurfing is just brilliant. The people I've met here, the things they've shown me about their countries and the things they've taught me about life are definitely the best part of my past travels, so I can't imagine ever not using Cs!

Also, having a bunch of friends all around the world is the coolest thing on Earth for me!

Interests

• writing
• books
• poetry
• singing
• traveling
• music
• cultures
• meeting new people
• daydreaming
• world citizen

Music, Movies, and Books

My dad passed down his rock'n'roll soul to me, so Queen, ABBA, Guns N' Roses and The Beatles literally give me life and their music is a soundtrack to all my travels. But on a daily basis, I'm a pop girlie. When you see me in headphones, fair chance I'm listening to Lana Del Rey or Taylor Swift. Hey, by the way, Lana is dropping a new album while I'm in the Philippines!:D

When it comes to books, I own almost 600 volumes and have ready probably twice as much, so choosing the best one would be like choosing which of my cats is my favourite. But I do have a few eternally beloved ones, like "Anne of Green Gables", "Inkheart", "A Series of Unfortunate Events", "Rebecca" and "My Dark Vanessa".

I love movies that make me feel things - either deep feelings or pure joy. My three fave types are glamorous old Hollywood productions ("I Married a Witch", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"), the ones with beautiful oceanic landscapes ("By the Sea", "I Walked With a Zombie") and movies with crazy, unhinged plots. The weirder the better ("Cry-Baby", "Amelia", "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors").

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Moving to London at 19 and making it in the big city on my own while beginning my writing career is something I'm most proud of today. If you ask me tomorrow though, I'll probably give a different answer. :P

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can teach you some Polish words other than those popular curses ;p We can sing together, and my boyfriend plays the guitar! I know pretty much about the English language as I help children with learning and Matt is fluent in French so if you need, we can practise together:) We're also good listeners and conversation partners, always ready to share their life philosophies, spread love and brighten up your day with a smile.:) And after the travel, I'll be sure to send you the poems I will inevitably write, inspired by your beautiful corner of the world!;)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, England, Netherlands, Poland