CURRENT MISSION

Hakuna Matata! :)

Hej! I'm Katrin!

I love books, sitting in cafés and reading my ZEIT newspaper. Wine and hot chocolate with friends and family, cooking and baking (with and for others), dancing, hiking, the ocean, traveling (all year long!)... The good life, so to speak. Also, I find a lot of joy in singing in the shower, listening to music, getting to know people from all around the globe, having random conversations on the train and listening to people's stories. )

I do daydream a lot, I cook with rescued vegetables (preferably sugar free meals), and I love to go for long walks with my dog... I also enjoy the fun that is literature and languages. Especially French and Turkish. Since I work for an EU project with the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Czech Republic I am thinking about starting to learn some Czech in Prague during the summer. That would be so cool!

I am a secret introvert, but people rarely believe me when I tell them. I seem to function well enough.

I think of myself as resourceful, friendly, independent and optimistic, and I love my freedom. Friends have called me a free spirit. They may be right.

So far I was lucky enough to explore and live in five countries on three different continents: Europe, North America and Asia. Meanwhile, I gained friends and experiences all around the globe and am so happy for all the opportunities and people that crossed my path.

I grew up on a small farm in East Bavaria riding cows, petting chicken and feeding pigs. In between travels I reside and work in Amberg and Regensburg.

Warum ich bei Couchsurfing bin

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've traveled with Couchsurfing several times, my first time "surfing", however, was on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii during my academic year abroad in the United States. I find Couchsurfing a really unique way of traveling that has brought plenty of great people into my life. :-)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

100% positive! :)

Musik, Filme und Bücher

I just found out about the joy that is Netflix. And I simply ADORE watching "How I met your mother"! :)

My favorite book of all times is... I have no clue. I love reading so much and there are so many books that inspired me in a certain way, like Goethe's "Faust I" or "Buddenbrooks". Which yeah, due to my studies, I read a lot of classic German and American/English literature. But on the other hand, I especially enjoy children's books by Astrid Lindgren, Christine Nöstlinger and Dr. Seuss. Oh, and crime fiction. Also, I love poetry. And reading in foreign languages. Which..., yeah, I loooove books.

Eine tolle Erfahrung, die ich gemacht habe

I came out as a lesbian in 2009. The most scary, challenging, honest, life-changing ,yet most AMAZING thing I could ever do for myself.

Other pretty awesome things:

Both showing and telling the people I love that I love them.

I went to a classic ball in a castle in Vienna, Austria. With a super awesome ball date! And I danced Vienna Waltz. (childhood dream come true!)

My academic year 2010-11 as an exchange student in the US: such a wonderful experience of being abroad, embracing a new world, new culture and getting to know new friends while also visiting old ones. In my opinion, living abroad is the best thing you can do in order to really get to know yourself. I experienced things in America that I could have never dreamed doing before. Portland- to me- feels like home! :)

While in Hawaii I did swim with dolphins. Breathtaking moments! :)

I also went to a sandbar party with my host close to Waikiki Beach. Craziest, coolest and most remarkable party EVER!

I asked my dentist out for a coffee after we found out that we had a lot to talk about. Why did this happen? Well, it all started with a root canal therapy.

I did some awesome 3 month traveling across the US, Canada and Mexico, including New York, the South, Hawaii and California. Also Vancouver, BC was great!

In order to know what it is like being a muslim girl wearing a headscarf in Germany I asked my friend Cigdem if she could help me wear one for a day. It was one of the most interesting days in my life- and I thought it looked pretty good, too.

Being in a mosque while the muezzin started the call for prayer gave me goosebumps.

Living 10 months in beautiful I S T A N B U L

Crossing the Bosphorus from Europe to Asia in Istanbul (in the dolmus as well as on the ferry) while seeing happy dolphins jumping around in the water.

Jerusalem, Israel.

I almost got arrested in Turkey while protesting with my poster at the LGBT Pride Walk in Istanbul.

I got drunk drinking way too much white tequila with my best friend and our German teacher in 2008 after graduating high school. Legendary night! :)

My own little column in our local newspaper. :)

Snorkeling at a coral reef in Egypt

I hit the Top of the Rock in New York City!

The joy that is learning Turkish. :)

I am the best friend of a girl in Arizona who is just 6 years old!

Recently, I also got my tongue pierced.

Coming home to my tiny little hometown with just 150 inhabitants in the South of Bavaria, feeling so at home while finding it pretty odd at the same time. Seeing all the people I have been around every day for the first 20 years of my life, talking to my grandparents and kindergarten friends about old stories and new adventures, having a beer at our local village party or sitting by the river, maybe sometimes feel a little bit different and weird since most of the people there have never left this place.
But after a week or so I always have this strong, happy feeling of "being home", belonging somewhere which fills both my mind and heart with so much peace and love. And since I haven't had this feeling before I left for America, probably the most amazing thing I've ever done is not that I left my home town in the first place, but that I'll always come back to it knowing that there's a room for me both in my family's house- and in their hearts.

Lehren, lernen, teilen

Well I'm learning that I'm good at finding things. Or people. I randomly meet awesome people on the streets and go to a movie with them. Same goes for new music. Books. Events. Stumbling upon places I can't wait to get to again. Grants/scholarships. Interesting talks.

I'm also getting good at learning how to go at my own pace about things. Finding out what I really want.

I really like listening, and asking questions. Good conversations. While drinking wine. Or just having a good beer- preferably from Bavaria.

As far as what I hope to gain from other people in the CouchSurfing community, I'd just like to learn more about how and why people travel and live. I really like the personal philosophy question.
I would also love to learn more dancing. I think I could be pretty good if I had more practice. :)

And what is even more important: I can teach you how to say things in in the most beautiful language EVER: Turkish. Somehow I really fell in love with this language! :-)

Was ich mit Gastgebern teilen kann

A good cup of coffee
German (and international) Dishes
Stories about my adventures
Language teaching :)

Länder, die ich besucht habe

Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Länder, in denen ich gelebt habe

Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Turkey, United States

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