I am a librarian and archivist at a local public library in Amherst, MA and at Westfield State University who works with children, students, adults, and the elderly. Each group has different needs and it is always interesting figuring out how to solve issues they bring up. I also work as a docent, cataloger, writer, and digital specialist at the Polish Center of Discovery and Learning, a relatively small local museum.

I enjoy visits to museums, symphony halls, historic buildings and districts, restaurants, stadiums, and recently especially parks in any city I visit.

I like reading and discussing books with friends and strangers alike. There are too many authors to list but I enjoy discussing Sedaris, Dostoyevsky, J.R.R. Tolkien, Tahereh Mafi, Fanon, J.K. Rowling, Gaiman, Adichie, and John Green in equal measure.

I like all animals and like meeting people's pets. Except spiders. I don't much care for spiders.

Unfortunately I had to move and my current living arrangements do not allow even the possibility of hosting anyone :(.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm on Couchsurfing because I think sharing a conversation with people from all over the world is the most human thing we can do to foster acceptance, understanding, and forge genuine connections. And because stories people share are amazing.

Interests

Music
Reading
Hiking
Skiing
Theater
Sports (volleyball, soccer)
Video games (RPGs, RTSs)
Tea

• animals
• pets
• books
• theater
• vegetarian
• video games
• reading
• socializing
• music
• live music
• opera
• hiking
• skiing
• sports
• soccer
• volleyball
• history
• mountain biking

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite Music:
Classical music
Power, symphonic and folk metal
Klezmer
Balkan folk music

Favorite movies:

Any Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Kieślowski films
Pixar films
Amadeus
Seventh Seal
Midnight in Paris
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies
V for Vendetta

Favorite TV shows:

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Have I Got News for You
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Stranger Things

Books
There are too many to list but here's an attempt:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20631513-marcin-marszalek

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Drove a Peugeot 108 up a mountain in Liguria it was probably not meant to climb and wondering whether the suspension would survive (it did!)

Working at MIT. I am a complete humanist/artist with no background STEM fields. Working at MIT opened up wonderful intellectual vistas and the international atmosphere where I would hear no less than 5 languages a day and many more accents ensured that I have never felt more at home in any other place.

Teach, Learn, Share

I want to improve my (poor) German, French and (my very poor) Russian. Speak and learn about culture, music, literature, and history of each place I visit and exchange ideas about the world and living in it.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm always up for sharing a cup of tea or a beer, discussing book collections, organizing knowledge and teaching piano, talking about music, history, current events etc. I could make you aloo gobi or bake avocado banana muffins?

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Poland, United States