Servus, hello, سلام ,مرحبا, АСАЛОМ, merhaba, 你好 and ciao!

My name is Marius and I am from Bavaria, Germany and am currently doing an internship in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

I have studied Near and Middle Eastern Studies at Munich University and will continue my master's studies in Freiburg. This might not sound like a course of studies that will make you earn a lot of money later on, but that's not why I chose this field. I love learning languages, history and culture. Especially of the Middle East, but basically all of Europe and the rest of the world.

I like train traveling a lot, because it is environmentally friendly, tells you a lot about the country and I just love looking out the window enjoying the scenery. A fellow couchsurfer just introduced me to the world of hitchhiking, so I am exploring this way of travelling now, too. Also I like hiking very much, so I am using the weekends to explore the Tajiki mountains. Traveling is always the best reason to go hiking.

Currently I am working for WFP in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. I hope to collect great memories here, gain a lot of experience, meet cool people and improve my language skills.

I'm a vegetarian and a non-smoker.

Three more random facts about me:
- I'm not interested in football, but everyone around me is, so I'm always well informed.
- I played five different musical instruments as a child until I found the right one for me (baritone horn and trombone).
- At least once a year I have to go to Italy. And each day I eat a pizza (Margherita or Pugliese). As a friend once said: L'Italia non è un paese, è un'emozione.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

A friend recommended to me joining the Couchsurfing community, as you get to know super interesting people and see parts of a country that only locals can show you. I have had great experiences during the last year with couchsurfing and met interesting people. Now as I have my own apartment for seven months, I hope to return the hospitality that I have experienced.

Interests

My interest are pretty diverse: History and culture are my favourite topics to read and discuss. A couchsurfer once called me a sociologist, because I want to understand societies and there ways - although I have never researched in that scientific way.
I am also a huge fan of the opera. I work at Munich State Opera and on the days I don't, it's not unlikely to see me there as a guest.
In general, I enjoy talking and discussing about almost everything. And I am always interested in hearing people's stories: How they became who they are and got to the place they are today.

• cooking
• board games
• socializing
• podcasts
• opera
• hiking
• history
• languages
• sustainability
• society
• mountain bike
• train travel
• memes

Music, Movies, and Books

This is just the tip of the iceberg:
- Game of Thrones (the series is already great, but the books cannot be beaten)
- Star Wars (team old trilogy)
- Opera (1. Mozart, 2. Puccini, 3. Wagner, 4. Verdi)
- Wind music (playing baritone horn and trombone myself)
...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I once spent the night on the streets of Venice because a couchsurfing host who was about to accept, declined me last minute and there were no ho(s)tels with a reasonable price around. So I spent the night sitting on benches at different squares listening to podcasts and music. And in the morning I had one of the most amazing sunrises in my whole life while the normally crowded streets were completely empty.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Company, conversation, interest, cooking.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Latvia, Monaco, Netherlands, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Iraq, Tajikistan