I'm Maarten but most people call me Mieks. Living and working in Birmingham, hoping to meet some new friends and more lovely people in my life. I'm genderfluid and basically accept most pronouns but prefer 'he/they'.

I work in an inner city college. I love new and classic queer cinema, watching awesomely silly TV shows (especially the sci-fi ones), travelling to various cities/countries to meet friends from online, pub gardens, gigs, camping, generally being outside (if the weather is nice). Half Dutch, half Irish and allergic to tulips (my mother still hasn't forgive me)

I'm poly and I have two kitty cats. Those aren't exactly related but I guess they help fuel the poly/cat obsessed stereotype.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm doing a bit more travelling than I used to and I would love to do a bit more couchsurfing. I've done a bit in the past but I'd love to get into it a bit more, especially since I get 14 weeks of holiday over the year due to working in a school.

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Sarah Waters, Frances Hardinge, Robin Talley, Christopher Edge, Tolkien, to name but a few.

Movies: Carol, Queen Christina, Brief Encounter, The Uninvited, Hitchcock, The Children's Hour, Sixth Sense, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation, Hitch, Labyrinth, The Legend, Heavenly Creatures, Junebug, Smoke, Story of the Weeping Camel etc etc

TV Shows: XENA! Warehouse 13, Orphan Black, Supergirl, Orange Is The New Black, Once Upon A Time, Broad City.

Music: All things folk, country and tbh my style is very eclectic. Dervish, Alison Krauss, Kate Rusby, Brandi Carlile, The Pretenders, Tracy Chapman, etc

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Written a book. Time to get it published :)

Teach, Learn, Share

Be yourself and embrace the stares that come with it (says the sometimes girl with a beard)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

England