About Me (the short version):
First and foremost, I love nature - hiking in the mountains, camping by the lake, walking in the forest, cycling by the South California coast or through the Skåne rapeseeds field, yoga on the beach, or just a simple picnic in the park - all give me tremendous joy in life. In addition to nature, I have two more passions: one is dog, especially labradors, chocolate labradors, their cuteness melt my heart. I had one for some years, but had to give it up due to too much travel, so I hope to get another one someday, a puppy, when I can. Two is art, I love painting, and visiting art galleries/museums/art fairs around the world to get inspiration and to meet other artists. Other interests include films, salsa dancing, rock climbing, playing Guzheng (a Chinese instrument) but I admit these things I haven't had much time to include them due to my current schedule. Last but not least, I love travelling the world of course, just like everyone else on this website.

About Me (the longer version - 5 chapters):
Chapter 1. Shanghai. It's where I was born and spent the first 20+ years of my life. What can I tell you about Shanghai? So much sentiments when I think of this city which is so distant from me nowadays... When I lived in Shanghai, I loved going to the Bund and never got tired of looking at those historical buildings at the riverfront. The rich varieties of architectural styles shine beautifully at night, and provide such a magnificent view, which one can see up close or looking down from one of those skyscrapers across the river in Pudong. At that time, I was already fascinated about the world beyond my own city. Those buildings at the Bund in Shanghai, are entirely European. Someday I'll go see the real Europe, I thought to myself.

But of course you would want to ask me more about China, perhaps some travel tips in China? Personally what I loved the most in China was the countryside, the mountains, and little villages. I'm fascinated about other ethnic groups. I belong to the Han ethnic group, the largest in China (98% of Chinese population), but there are 55 other ethnic groups, each has its own language, customs, clothing style, music, dance, etc. Traveling within China could feel like traveling in different countries because of those differences. I recommend Yunnan Province to experience these ethnic diversity. I've travelled a lot in China as a kid with my parents. While most of those memories have faded, Jiu Zhai Gou remains as the most beautiful place I remember seeing in China. It felt surreal to stand in front of those multi-colored lakes among the beautiful valleys in the autumn and when the mountains were covered with orange and red leaves. Among the trips I did as an adult, I would recommend you to visit the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival held every year in January in Ha'erbin (northern China, minus 26 degrees, but I promise it's worth visiting), Chengdu for its tea houses, panda research center, and take a bus from Chengdu to Mt.Er'mei (start climbing at sunrise and reach the top before sunset, then sleep like a baby at one of the hilltop hotels, or climb slowly, rest/sleep at any of the monasteries along the way on the mountain before reaching the top). Xi'ning, gateway to Tibet, take a bus from Xi'ning to Xiahe to visit the Labrang Monastery, it's a must visit whether you continue your journey to Tibet or not. (Many more places in China worth visiting, I can't possibly mention them all here.)

Chapter 2. California. Moving from China to USA was a huge step for me, first time in my life, alone, leaving home to a new country. New York is among the most popular choices in USA for international students, but because I had spent my whole life in the huge metropolitan city of Shanghai, I wanted something different. I fell in love with California's sunshine and beach the first time I visited. San Diego won my heart for its blue sky, clean air, warm weather, and beautiful beaches; less expensive than San Francisco, and less traffic than Los Angeles. University of California San Diego, La Jolla, the Del Mar beach... all those great memories over the years when I lived in San Diego, it served as a great home for me for over a decade, and even after I moved away, I still can imagine myself moving back to live there again in the future...

Chapter 3. India. Twice in India, first time 7 months, second time 2 months. This chapter of my life will take too much time tell, perhaps someday I will write a book about it. For now, I'll just say it has been life-changing.

Chapter 4. Europe. My first trip (3 months) in Europe was in 2014, it was shortly after I discovered CouchSurfing. After that first trip, I kept returning to Europe, each time 3 months. I fell in love with Europe's diversity, history, architecture, art, and people who all seem to speak multiple languages, which inspired me so much to also learn more languages.

Chapter 5. Sweden. Finally moved to Europe! I Lived in Stockholm for one year when I did my master at Karolinska Institutet. During that one year, I visited the Dramaten, Kungliga Operan, Dansens Hus, and Fotografiska, as often I could, took advantage of the amazing student discount ;). Currently I live in Lund, a small and charming southern Swedish town with beautiful medieval architecture.

My Philosophy:
(I wrote this one in 2013 when I joined Couch Surfing, now CS profile doesn't even have this section anymore, but the words still hold true for me so I'd like to include them here): We were born into different families and different cultures. We had our own unique upbringing and life circumstances. Some are fortunate, others are not so fortunate. A large part of who we are today was shaped by our own choices as well as by those external factors. A person who never received much formal education could be rich with life experiences; A person who's smart and knowledgeable about everything may not have the best virtue; A young person may be more mature and dependable than someone who is older. So on and so forth. You just never know. Job titles and social status should never be used solely to define a person. Instead, I care much more about a person's value and believes. What's important to you? What are you looking to achieve in life? What makes you laugh and what makes you cry? What are you passionate about? What do you think is the best way to live a fulfilling and meaningful life? - those are what I care to know. How you look doesn't tell me much, but how you carry yourself and how you treat others can tell me a lot about you; What you do for living doesn't tell me who you are, but if you're genuinely happy and passionate about what you do, I'm curious and would love to learn from you.

My Favourite Quotes:
"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country." -Anais Nin
"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." -Madame Marie Curie
"There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign." - Robert Louis Stevenson
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost
“千里之行，始于足下” - A Chinese saying, literally means "The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

A SPECIAL "COUCHSURFING" EXPERIENCE

The most unique experience I had was one that had lasted for two years. The idea was very similar that it was all about sharing, exchanging, and helping either other:

When I was attending UCSD (University of California, San Diego), I lived with and took care of a senior lady, Veronica (age 92) for two years. In exchange, she gave me a room to stay in her apartment, free of charge. Veronica was extremely kind to me, almost like my grandma. But it was a lot of work, and sometimes can be very stressful especially during final exams. I usually rush home after class because I was aware of my responsibilities.

For two years, Veronica and I shared her small but cozy apartment in La Jolla. Because of the the significant roles we played in each other’s life, we grew close to each other very quickly. She became my family, and I became hers. She loved my youthful energy and curiosity, I loved her fascinating stories and wisdom. We discovered we both have an adventurous and free spirit. Having travelled and lived around the world herself when she was young, she had always encouraged me to travel.

The two years with Veronica left me with numerous special memories. Now when I look back, I feel so fortunate because I know very few people get to experience such a special friendship with an elderly person and to learn from her life experiences. It was the first time in my life when I took on responsibility of taking care of another human being. I felt my life had become more meaningful whenever I thought about how much she needed me and how much she was dependent on me. I love her so much.

After graduation, I moved out, but I missed her and missed those fun and inspiring conversations we used to have. So I made time to visit her and take her out for coffee or lunch, or sometimes take her to see the ocean. She always smiles when she sees me. And seeing her smile makes me smile too. I just love spending time with her, listening her telling stories from the past over and over again, let my heart be filled with nostalgia...

Interests

• dogs
• arts
• books
• poetry
• photography
• salsa dancing
• chocolate
• picnic
• yoga
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• rock climbing
• language exchange
• beaches
• lakes
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, David Lynch, Alfred Hitchcock, Pedro Almodóvar, Woody Allen, Wong Kar-wai, Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou

Music: Miles Davis, Tom Waits, Billie Holiday, Norah Jones, Yo-Yo Ma, Kitaro, Philip Glass, Enya, Enigma, Faye Wong, Cao Zheng, Lang Lang

Books I enjoyed when I was in high school and college: The Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, Les Misérables, Great Expectations, The Call of the Wild, L'Ecirctre et le Néant (all above I read the translated version in Chinese); Works by the following Chinese authors: Eileen Chang, Xu Zhimo, Lu Xun, Lao She, Ba Jin, Wang Shuo, Han Han, Su Tong, Yu Hua;

Books I enjoyed in recent years: Why We Love, Man's Search for Meaning, Tuesdays with Morrie, Light on Yoga, A Way of Being, The Hours, Memories Dreams Reflections, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for Hat, Phantoms in the Brain, The Tipping Point, Outliers, Thinking Fast and Slow, Life of Pi, Nine Lives, Kite Runner.

I recently just finished reading: Vagabonding - An uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, by Rolf Potts; Age of Ambition - Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China, by Evan Osnos; The Forty Rules of Love, by Elif Şafak;

Now I'm reading Thinking Fast and Slow.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I lived in Chennai (India) for 7 months, during which I participated in a bike race in Madurai and won the champion in my age group (navigating through goats and cows in the heat of 39 degrees was a whole lot fun). I spent 10 days at an Ashram in northern India, which made me realize I could live without all the material things I thought I needed, and still be happy. During my second visit in India, I revisited Chennai and happened to meet the famous Indian director Mani Ratnam at a gym where I was taking a zumba class and he and his team were shooting a movie. I was chosen to join them and I ended up acting in the movie O Kadhal Kanmani.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm always ready and happy to learn new things. Anything if I haven't already known, fascinates me. Even for things I already know or do, there's always room for improvement, discussion, and exchange of ideas. I believe everyone, regardless age and experience, has something to teach each other.

In general, I also just love listening to people tell me their own stories. Life is short, time is so limited, there are too many places in the world to see and too many things to try. I can not possibly see or do everything, so I would like to hear your story, let you take me on a journey through your descriptions - it's much better than reading a travel book ;)

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you are curious about yoga, I'll be very happy to share with you my experience and tell you about the trainings I received in India. We can discuss the philosophical and physical aspects of yoga. You are welcome to join me for a practice, or if you don't have much experience, I will be happy to give you a free lesson :)

I have taught in India, New York, California, Sweden, and Italy. Check out my Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/YogaWithLijun

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If you like to know more about what I do in my studio, here's my Facebook page where I share my paintings, you're welcome to take a look: https://www.facebook.com/LijunsArtGallery

If you are an artist yourself, I would love to meet you, see your works, and learn from you. I'm completely self-taught, so I'm always seeking to meet other artists, learn from them, and get inspirations.

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Lastly, I can teach you Mandarine Chinese of course! - If you teach me your language ;)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Portugal, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, Germany, India, Italy, Sweden, United States