Hey you! I'm a friendly, optimistic (I try, at least!) and curious person with a lot of different hobbies and interests (researching historical costumes, anyone???).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To learn as much as possible from people from all walks of life!

For a great part of my life, I was quite socially akward and too insecure to get vulnerable with people and truly connect with them. That has changed over the last couple of years and improved greatly. I've come to realise that I love connecting with people and that it adds a lot of value to my life. It's often also a lot of fun!

Mention 'medieval manuscripts' in your DM so I know you've read my profile :)

Interests

• writing
• cooking
• vegan
• yoga
• meditation
• gardening
• reading
• cycling
• sightseeing
• middle ages
• tiny houses
• bread
• rooftops
• avocados
• cathedrals
• fermentation
• personal growth
• tarkovsky
• beards
• van life
• salt lamps

Music, Movies, and Books

Traditionally, I think I've been pretty snobby regarding what is literature/art and what's not, and I've been trying to be more open-minded about this since I became aware of my behaviour.

I know very little about movies (although I did discover Tarkovsky the other day, and boy, that was impressive!) or shows, but I do like music and I love books. I'm still exploring what's out there and what resonates with me in this particular stage of my life, but for now, my soul starts to jubilate when I hear Maria Callas sing, or when I look at my books and see Middlemarch by George Eliot, Madame Bovary by Flaubert, anything by Hermann Hesse, Miklós Bánffy, Balzac, Joseph Roth, Proust, Voltaire, Tolstoj and Jeroen Brouwers and the poems by Nicolaas Matsier. Also, I love reading cookbooks. Like, really, reading them like a novel.

Lately, I've been interested in experimental and expressive dancing, like Robert Bondara, Lucia Lacarra, Hans van Manen, Pina Bausch... Recommendations are welcome!

One of the things I've learned in the past year, is that there's more that fulfills me than I always assumed. I now know for example that comedy and movies can be very meaningful to me too, and I am very excited about exploring even more things. I've recently rewatched Black Books and Fawlty Towers (dubbed in German, lol) and I loved it!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Eating a whole roasted cauliflower at Miznon in Paris!

Teach, Learn, Share

I can explain to you why I think the traditional verismo opera's can be considered more belcanto nowadays, since the socio-historical context in which there were written and performed are not relevant anymore. Listening to a verismo opera in the present time means looking at art and not thinking about what's wrong in society and what should change. This is belcanto and therefore, I think the term 'verismo' is redundant.

TL;DR: I have a pink couch.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Dark humor; kindness; sincerity; enthusiasm; warmth; fermented foods; connection; the poetic and the whimsical; my attempt to always see the beauty in people (or at least to lovingly understand anyone's behaviour).

I can also point out details in your town that I love and you're probably not even aware of, like a charming rooftop or a window that's in a strange place!

Most importantly, I will accept you for who you are and respect you fully.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, Norway