CURRENT MISSION

Learning more about alternative ways of living through volunteering and travelling during this gap year from July 2016 to May 2017. Current mission: reaching Marocco through hitchhiking and couchsurfing as much as possible, to meet up with fellow humans of different plumage.

ABOUT ME

Serious and playful, hardworking but sometimes slow-learner, sometimes lost and sometimes found and grounded. I like doing different body work, practiced Tai Chi Chuan, Ju-Jitsu, Aikido and Yoga over the years. Self development is part of daily life though again, sometimes a very slow-learner. My experience in dancing and playing for balfolk dance events has shaped my life the past few years.

PHILOSOPHY

The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery (Author of Le Petit Prince)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I started with a little travelling and hosting years ago, have been less active the past few years and am now starting exploring the possibilities to surf again.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Had several guests because of festivals in my hometown and used it once or twice for travelling, but never extensively.

Interests

Music, stories, people, spirituality, meditation, more music, balfolk and dancing in general. I love to play [music, but also games in the broadest sense of the word] and I love to listen [to music, but also to your story].

• cats
• literature
• poetry
• dancing
• swing dancing
• cooking
• recipes
• beer
• yoga
• gardening
• socializing
• music
• classical music
• jazz
• sports
• teaching
• history
• languages

Music, Movies, and Books

Just examples in no particular order, there's too much to list:
I love music by Miles Davis, Naragonia, Avisha Cohen, Reef, Deux Accords Diront, Yuri Shishkin, Simeon ten Holt, J.S. Bach.
I love books by Sandor Marai, José Saramago, Yann Martel, Hella S. Haasse, Jonathan Safran Foer, G.R.R. Martin.
Want movies too? I'm a little less active in those, but I love: Magnolia, Festen, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Das Leben der Anderen, Hotel Rwanda, Lost in Translation, Pan's Labyrinth, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Volunteering and training in a spiritual community in Portugal (search for the Awakened Life Project), and after six weeks of training, participating in a wedding ceremony, including stag party, full week of preparations and playing in the ceremony and teaching people dances at the party in the evening. Very inspiring experience.

Teach, Learn, Share

I really like to make music, I can teach you specific things about accordion playing or about music in general (history of classical music, music theory, analysis, harmony).
I can learn you some basic meditating techniques based on my experience as a zen trainee, Yoga or Tai Chi moves.
I'm always interested in expanding on these terrains, but also to learn new recipes for cooking and am always curious about what you're good at, and what drives you.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share my thoughts about "living the change you want to see in this world", including meditation techniques, music, our travel experience finding different sustainable building techniques in 2016, reading different books.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands