Well, let's start with the framework: I'm 28 years old, studied languages (English, Russian and German) and am currently working for Cultural Care Au Pair (EF Education First) in Düsseldorf. I'm an outgoing and adventurous person who loves meeting new people and - like I'd assume most people on here - traveling a lot.

Originally I'm from Austria, but I'm lucky enough to call more than one place "home". After High School I spent a year working as an Au Pair in Raleigh, NC with the best host family anyone could ask for. I then went back home to study languages and returned to the US about a year later as an exchange student at Oklahoma State University (go Pokes!). In 2016 I moved to Vologda (Russia) for 6 months, and then spent the summer in Brighton, UK before I finished University and ended up in Berlin, where I spent two years before finally moving to Düsseldorf in August 2018, where I've been living ever since.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Because it's a fun way to meet new people, get to know new cultures and travel in a non-tourist-kinda-way.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of CS experience yet as I usually stayed with friends, but I'm hoping to change that soon :)

Interests

I love to spend time with friends and family and generally being with people. I also love meeting (new) people from all over the world, getting to know new cultures and having conversations about pretty much everything that comes up over a good cup of coffee, glass of wine, beer, ...

Obviously I also love traveling and exploring new places. I especially enjoy outdoor activities (rock climbing, running, skiing, hiking, swimming) and am always up for trying new things.

For me there's no life without music and as much as I like wandering around and being surrounded by people, I also enjoy watching a good movie or reading a book over a cup of (good!) coffee.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music:
Pretty mixed, but mainly R&B, Reggaeton, and I have to admit: Country Music (little Souvenir I brought back from NC & Oklahoma) Also love Musicals (all time favorite: Wicked!)

Movies/Shows:
- Game of Thrones, Anything Marvel and DC (however: Marvel > DC!), Lord of the Rings and of course: Harry Potter! Recently also binge watched How to get away with Murder

Books:
Easy: Harry Potter! But also: Anything Dan Brown like, Fantasy in general and - depending on the mood - also a good Nicholas Sparks one (I know, it's my guilty pleasure!)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Cross-country skiing on huge and completely frozen river in -36° cold Russia - and going on a camping trip in the very same country only 4 months later and being able to rock climg until midnight because of midnight sun.

Teach, Learn, Share

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page". I know it's such a cliché, but this quote pretty much sums it all up. There's so much to see, so many places to go, so many different people to meet and so many cultures to understand. From every person you meet along your way you can learn, and every person who meets you on theirs can learn from you as well. Life is about learning, and in my opinion it's best done by sharing your stories with others and by learning from each other. So what can you learn from me? Well, I guess we'll have to find out! :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can definitely help with German or English speaking and (as long as you are not quoting me on it) I can also teach you some Russian. In any case, I can share the experience I've gained from travelling and living abroad and especially my time in Russia has shown me that life is not always what it seems like at first glance - and I'd be more than happy to have some interesting and genuine conversations about pretty much everything over a good meal or a few drinks. Also, I've been told that I'm fairly good at making "Kaiserschmarrn" - a traditional Austrian dish that most people outside of Austria would call a dessert - for us, it's definitely a main though! :-D

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Germany, Russian Federation, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States