Hey there! I'm Kristiana and I am excited to be a part of this platform and carry on its true purpose - to meet new people, exchange cultures and stories as well as enjoy each other's unique company whilst traveling or hosting travelers!🌞

❗️Therefore it is important for anyone visiting this profile when searching for a host to read my profile before messaging me. If you are an individual who only surfs and does not host people at all or very minimally, you might want to look for a different host. Despite me being relatively new to this platform, I have been involved in Couchsurfing since I was in my early teens through my parents profile, so almost 15 years. I had decided to create my own personal profile recently as I grew more interested in continuing pursuing the membership of this community as years went by. It does not matter to me if you wish to stay one night or more, those plans are up to you, though I would want to have a chance to have a conversation or two with you!❗️

Now a little about me, the gist. 🎾 I have been playing tennis since I was 6 years old and worked my way up to being a student-athlete at Rutgers University. I left Latvia when I was 18 years old and alone continued my journey there for 6 years in which I obtained both Bachelor and Masters degree in Applied and Professional Psychology. I strive to be a Sports Psychologist and work with athletes in enhancing their mental performance. Because of my tennis career, I had traveled and played tournaments all over Europe. So I might have some experience and stories to share if one is interested. I have many interests though because of the consuming nature of being exceptional in a sport, I did not devote so much time to my hobbies.. However, I enjoy reading fine literature, laying on the beach, coffee/cafe shops, traveling and putting on a show or movie while resting after a long day. I am interested in pottery, drawing/painting, dancing, pilates, meditation and spirituality. I hope to learn more about these things as well as different cultures and perspectives. I'd say I am an introverted person, though with my people I am quite extraverted :) I do enjoy a good laugh, interesting stories and a great storyteller (my particular favorite as I sadly do not possess that talent..). So I have lots of stories about living as an immigrant in the US, sports (mainly tennis of course, though I did do track when I was younger and table tennis as well) and psychology or traveling.

🙏🏼I appreciate people being kind, genuine and thoughtful as if one is entering another's home, respect for one's space should be displayed. That applies to whether one is the host or the surfer. Other than that, I ensure surfers to be comfortable in my home, to feel at home and enjoy the beauty of my country. I am quite lenient, open-minded, laid-back and flexible person who respects one's space and desires.

Warum ich bei Couchsurfing bin

I enjoy meeting new people, learning about their culture, life and stories as well as perspective. I also enjoy being a hostess to travelers in my home country!

Interessen

I love animals, particularly cats🐱Yes, I am a cat person. I do enjoy the company of dogs if they do not scare me.. I have many interests though because of the consuming nature of being exceptional in a sport, I did not devote so much time to my hobbies.. Nevertheless, I enjoy reading fine literature, laying on the beach, coffee/cafe shops, traveling and putting on a show or movie while resting after a long day. I am interested to pursue in the future pottery, drawing/painting, dancing, pilates, meditation and spirituality. I hope to learn more about these things as well as different cultures and perspectives.

• animals
• cats
• arts
• culture
• books
• architecture
• fashion
• concerts
• traveling
• pottery
• sports
• tennis
• languages
• psychology
• beaches
• food
• humor
• conversation
• cultural exchange
• family and friends
• museums and exhibitions
• coffee shops
• comedy shows
• cultural experiences

Musik, Filme und Bücher

🎬My all time favorite movie is a french movie called "Intouchables" where true friendship and compassion virtues and moral values are encapsulated. Plus it's hilarious too! I do enjoy a good movie that has a moral or message, something intellectual for me to read in between lines with a touch of humor.. Such as Attonement, Pride and Prejudice, Whipple and Pianist to name a few. My favorite movie genre is one based on a true story, which especially deeply catches my attention.

🎶Hmm, for music I usually listen to whatever is on the radio or it really depends on my mood, though my unchanging favorites are some of the classics like the Beatles, U2, ABBA, Coldplay, Queen, Adele and others.

📚I have read lots of books in latvian and only few in english, though oddly enough my favorite book is a norwegian book translated to latvian called "Un mūža meži šalc". The original name in norwegian still to this day remains a mystery to me..

Eine tolle Erfahrung, die ich gemacht habe

What a loaded question.. Well, I believe mastering to play tennis is the most amazing thing I have done. It has brought me many joys and also sorrows that carried various life lessons for me. It has given me so much in this life starting with funny stories and friends to opening a path for me to study in the United States and be a student-athlete. I have only my parents and family to be grateful for supporting me through everything, making sacrifices on a daily basis and having unshakable belief in me. While I have worked hard myself since the age of 6, I would not be who I am without them.

Lehren, lernen, teilen

I am eager to learn about different cultures, people and perspectives. It is utmost fascinating for me to meet new people and learn about their life and story.

I can easily teach anyone to play tennis as I am humbly quite decent myself. Certainly can try to beat me if you can ;)

I am more of a listener myself (as my profession grants me😆), though if one holds interest in my stories concerning sports (tennis in particular or being an athlete), life in the States or Latvia among other things, I am more than happy to share those! Nevertheless, I find it most joyous to hear about interesting stories, maybe with a plot twist or room for laughter!

Was ich mit Gastgebern teilen kann

Conversation, comfort and kindness. The conversation can be about anything.. (Sports! Sports! Sports!). And some funny stories 😆

Länder, die ich besucht habe

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United States

Länder, in denen ich gelebt habe

Latvia, United States