Hello!

I am currently a student at NYU, studying history, philosophy, psychology, international relations, law and whatever I find interesting on my way.

I took a Gap Year last year prior to going to college to see how other people around the world live and to find what I am interested in. Places I went to include China to study Kung Fu, worked in Melbourne at a supermarket (learned how to make sushi rolls by the way), studied Japanese in Osaka and travelled around a bit and attended Yonsei University in South Korea for a summer semester to study modern history of North East Asia.

I guess I am slightly nerdy. I like listening about what people study and why they do so, and I also find fascinating understanding how people become who they are.

I am very active; I like sports, such as tennis, yoga, dressage and horse jumping, cycling etc. A few years ago, I cycled around the Netherlands and Austria.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to meet more interesting people, learn about their passions. I can do it through books too but I value the power of human connection.

Interests

• singing
• dancing
• yoga
• walking
• nightlife
• traveling
• music
• drums
• hiking
• food
• exploring
• kungfu

Music, Movies, and Books

I am currently reading Endgame by Derrick Jensen. It is a very interesting book that questions structures of power, violence and discusses incompatibility of civilization and sustainability.

One of my favorite documentaries is Samsara. The film has no words. It portrays cycles of life and death, showing different places and traditions of our world. It is really empowering and relaxing, I really recommend it.

I also love most films from the Studio Ghibli, especially The Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa from the wind Valley, Grave of the Fireflies.

I love old movies, like Some Like it Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Sun Valley Serenade
(but to be honest, much prefer having a walk than watching a movie)

I listen to a lot of Russian pop music, some Chinese artists, such as 万能青年旅店 (Omnipotent Youth Society), and many other random artists/songs my friends have introduced me. Recently was getting into no lyrics modern classical and EDM music after hearing its possible beneficial effects on brain function and creativity.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Decided to take a Gap Year and travel alone to understand my values and went to Chine to learn tai chi. Ended up in a Kung Fu school practicing kung fu 6 hours a day 6 days a week, surrounded by 3,000 local students who to my white Western standards were all professional.

Teach, Learn, Share

Anything you love doing. I am currently becoming more interested in Urban Development and Sustainability, so if you could introduce me to these topics in the context of your surroundings I would be more than grateful and excited to hear!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I have many stories from my travels to share if you are interested =) For example, I ended up being a part of a religious cult once... I also love philosophical debates, questioning of perspective. For example, recently I began looking into waste, looking into how the concept of waste (i.e. garbage) is formed, how attitudes towards it differ depending on the politics and economic structures, and how waste can inform us about our culture and ourselves.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, China, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Maldives, Mauritania, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States