CURRENT MISSION

be open and see what happens

ABOUT ME

I think these are blessed times for me, since I can sincerely confess of being quite a nerdy girl without being ridiculed (viva hipster era! although I'm actually not one of them, I don't have ray-bans). How else would you call a girl who at the age of 13, instead of partying and going out with boys, was passionate about books and started learning Italian on her own? :) I believe the love for reading and Italy, as well as curiosity about the world and different cultures, are my main distinctive features. My curiosity pushed me towards working as a journalist, and my emotional connection with Italy took me to that country, where I lived for 2,5 years (more than half of this time in marvellous Florence). Now, being just back to Ukraine after time abroad, I try to re-make my life in order to combine the things I love and which make me excited. And CS, I believe, is a good way to keep in touch with the world and different great people who live in it.

PHILOSOPHY

look for a balance but keep stepping out of the comfort zone

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Used to host and surf while living and traveling abroad, now returned back to live in Ukraine and will see how can I participate in CS here

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted people when I lived in Italy and I had some surfing experiences which were really great. I also made several really good friends thanks to CS

Interests

World, different cultures, journalism, documentaries, politics, international affairs, literature, migration, diversity.
Hiking, trekking, eating and cooking! Love experimenting with food

• books
• literature
• documentaries
• dining
• cooking
• partying
• politics
• reading
• traveling
• hiking
• surfing
• swimming
• journalism

Music, Movies, and Books

Just a few to get an idea of what I like..
Music: Beirut, Coldplay, Florence&the Machine, Feist, Sigur Ros, Massive Attack, Amy Winehouse, Adele. I also like bossa nova, old as well as new, like Astrud and Bebel Gilberto; also in this vein, Buena Vista Social Club. I love listening to the classics like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Luis Armstrong, Nina Simone, etc.

Movies: hmmm... I like Emir Kusturica (not his political opinions though); European, especially French and Spanish cinema; Woodie Allen; Bernardo Bertolucci; Old Italian movies, esp. the ones by Vittorio de Sica, and those with Sophia Loren and/or Marcello Mastroianni ("Ieri, oggi, domani" is one of the most enjoyable ever). I love old black and white movies, and, at the same time, if the movie is new, I prefer it be colourful, bright and crazy. My most recent cinematographic discovery: Xavier Dolan.

Books: I've been reading a lot since I was six, and I'm a bit ashamed that in these times of internet I have less time and concentration to do it. So difficult to choose, but I would probably name Erlend Loe, Julio Cortazar, and some Ukrainian writers you've probably never heard of, like Yuri Andrukhovych :) I like to read fiction books which speak about cultures I am not very familiar with, I discovered a lot of new things about China, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in this way, and yearning to know more!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Taking a midnight swim in the sparkling sea
Crazy one: eating silkworms at a food market in Beijing!

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you some Italian language and gestures, tell you things you most surely don't know about Ukraine, and maybe Italy too. I can have a serious conversation with you about international politics or non-serious one on anything you want to discuss ;) I can cook smth!

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Poland, Ukraine

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