My full name is "Maria Chiara", but you might just call me Chiara! :)
I'm 22 and I am enrolled in a MA at Higher School of Economics in St. Pete.

I'm curious and open-minded, I strongly believe that experiences are what make us feel alive and escape from everyday deadly routine. My life is an ongoing effort to push myself out of my comfort zone, so I'm always up for trying something new, that's why I love traveling.
So far I found nothing that gives me the same thrilling buzz as to stand still in front of a new landscape that discloses its secrets to me. Everywhere I go, I love to explore hidden spots and to get to know the real soul of the place. This world is full of beauty and I want to grasp it all.

I'm sociable, extroverted and friendly, but I'm also quite introvert. This means that I'm always up for a good conversation and for sharing great moments together, but I also need some time for myself every now and then. I respect other people's privacy and I never want to come across as invasive.
I'm straightforward, but I value politeness as one of the most important features in people's personality.

I'm creative and resourceful. My greatest passions, besides languages, are music, cinema and literature.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As you can see, I'm a newbie over here. I signed up 'cause I want to experience more, from every point of view. I love the concept of CS, and I'm sure that apart from saving money, what really CS can give you is a 360° experience into the place you're visiting, and that's exactly what I'm looking for. I love meeting new people and the feeling you get when you're hosted: it's like you've always lived there, and this is priceless.
I've always hosted people, friends' friends and so on and I like it. Sharing is caring and I love to show people around, especially if I'm lucky enough to know hidden gems you sometimes can't find on guides. I'm glad to introduce you to my friends and to invite you to party with us!
On the other hand, sometimes I'm very busy and I don't have so much time to spend with my hosts, and I perfectly understand when this happens to the person who's hosting me.

Interests

• arts
• literature
• design
• photography
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• partying
• drinking
• movies
• traveling
• music
• languages
• study abroad

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Going on Erasmus in Gent (Belgium), and then in Moscow, for six months. These two adventures pushed me out of my comfort zone and changed my life completely, and now I got lots of stories to tell :)

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach:
- My language! :)
- Italian dishes
- I'm glad to share interesting stuff about Italian literature and cinema

Learn:
- Your language!
- Your traditional dishes/songs/habits/whatever
- Basically anything about your country

Share:
- My house
- My friends
- Food & Drink!
- Music!
- Parties!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Russian Federation