Updated 8/2019

Hello! I am Karin from Slovakia, a talkative introvert fascinated by the cultures, languages and stories of the world and its humans. I love science, nature, books, yoga, hiking and my husband Felipe. I am a (s)low cost traveler with a taste for hitchhiking, biking, sleeping under the stars or on the sidewalk and generally taking the tougher road.

I am privileged to have traveled a bit in my life - left for France for a study exchange when 17 years old, walked Camino de Santiago in Spain when 20, volunteered at an archaeological site in Romania at 21, traveled to Thailand at 22, then Cambodia and India when 23 and there I fell madly in love and moved to Colombia for about a year and a half. Hitchhiked from San Francisco to Cancun at 25, Mexico is great for hitchhiking by the way. I got married and somehow finished my studies in the meantime, realising I have no interest in an academy career. I've spent about a year and a half on the road in 2016-17 : starting in Italy, then crossing Albania and Greece to Turkey, next to Georgia and Armenia. Back then we aspired to hitchhike and walk from Europe to India and then to South East Asia where we met years ago but due to health and family reasons, we ended up back in Slovakia for now. As a result of the extended trip, I am really appreciating my routine while it lasts. So here I am, actually working and paying my bills as if I were a remotely decent human!

My hobbies: I love traveling without guidebooks, biking, hiking, roller blades, yoga, learning new languages and skills, reading, telling stories, writing, teaching, camping, not knowing where I´m going nor where I´ll sleep tonight. Also, I speak too much.

Current mission: get healthy, get better at yoga (build my own practice), study photography.

I write about my travels at www.GirlAstray.com but I share my best stories on instagram (@girlastray). I apologize for the current state of both, I don't have much time to dedicate to the site so it's been a mess for a while!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have been on the road for a long time and hosted by many kind people - I try to return the favor as much as possible! All adventurers, hitchhikers, storytellers, bums, hippies, bikers, long distance hikers and other people in love with the road are welcome in our small flat in Bratislava.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

So far we hosted in Colombia, Turkey, Georgia and Slovakia - everywhere we lived 🙂
We were hosted in many more countries where we traveled.

As travelers, we are on the tight side of the budget. We walk, hitchhike, camp or sleep in abandoned buildings, but we love a shower from time to time, especially in combination with great conversation with local hosts ;-)

Interests

traveling, music, food, books, history, culture, science, teaching, learning languages, traditions and religions, psychedelic research, gender, feminism, postcolonialism #teamEdwardSaid

• culture
• writing
• books
• photography
• human rights
• cooking
• reading
• traveling
• music
• hiking
• camping
• history
• languages
• science
• hitchhiking
• budget travel
• nature
• storytelling
• wild camping
• travel writing

Music, Movies, and Books

The three most important books I've read:
- Orientalism by Edward Said
- Invisible Women by Caroline Perez Criado
- How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollen
I recommend these to everyone!

David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, The Piano, Babam ve Oglum, The Handmaiden...
Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, El Puente - Minimalismo Tropical, cumbia colombiana, Two feet, LP,
Barbara Dermick, Neil Gaiman, Herman Hesse, Robert Graves, Charles Baudelaire, Marques de Sade, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie...
...always looking for new music, books and movies!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I survived a car crash - it's amazing to be alive, but I had no say in that.

I moved continents on a whim for love and it was the best decision ever, although stupid and risky, I admit.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am always happy to meet fellow travelers and exchange stories, tips, experiences and laughs. We can all learn different things from each other, but the important thing is to make friends and be happy.
I'm trying to learn to be more patient, kind and humble. If you host me, I'll do my best to respect your personal space and return the favour by helping you out as needed.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Couchsurfing for me is about community. I like to share with people I stay with or who stay with us - time, food, experience, friendship...we're both open minded, peaceful and value freedom. We love a good discussion.
We are clean and respectful - we won´t leave a mess at your place. We love to cook and share food with hosts and guests and share stories and tips.
As guests, we'll be happy to cook for you, help you with chores and generally make your life easier, not harder.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Colombia, France, Georgia, Slovakia, Turkey