My name is Pepijn (if it's hard to pronounce, just call me Pep)! 🙃

I am 28 years old and finished a bachelor studies in Applied Psychology, mainly focusing on Positive Psychology and Education. I became very much excited about the science of positive psychology as it is not only about treating mental ilnesses, but more about the ways to live a happy and fulfilling life, and researches topics like mindfulness, resilience, relationships and flourishing! 🌻

During my studies, I started to become more aware of the current climate- and ecological crisis. That is why sustainability is one of the most important topics for me in the past few years.
* started living a vegan lifestyle 🌱
* taking the train instead of the plane 🚃
* giving guest lectures on sustainability at high schools and primary schools 📚
* becoming active as a ‘climate activist’ within Extinction Rebellion 💪🏻

So, I would love to speak more about these topics that I feel passionate about.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I will explain this to you through my 'ode to couchsurfing':

🌍 FEEL WELCOME IN THE WORLD 🌏

Friends from all continents | Unexpected moments | Awkward interactions | International cooking | Learning new skills | Exchanging ideas | Sharing culture | Random acts of kindness | Providing a joyful and warm place | ‘Traveling like a local’

All these things are related to experiences I had through couchsurfing in the past three years, hosting people in my house in Utrecht and Ljubljana and surfing at peoples places around Europe. I have met people from all over the world, from Seoul to Budapest or Mexico City.

Having friends from all continents changed my life. There was namely one important lesson I learned from these experiences that I believe is important for this world. And that is a feeling of trust.

Couchsurfing shows me everytime that we are people with a spirit of generosity, empathy and love for the world. And it helps me to perceive the world as a place where I feel welcome everywhere.

So reflecting on the world we live in right now, the loss of faith in each other, not knowing our neighbors or being afraid of other cultures.

Let me ask you the question:
What was your last random act of kindness (to a stranger)?

Interests

• education
• vegan
• yoga
• meditation
• reading
• jazz
• hiking
• sustainability
• healthy living
• hiphop
• foraging
• positive psychology
• edible plants
• climate activism
• extinction rebellion

Music, Movies, and Books

Favorite book:
Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist
Richard Bach - Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Favorite movie: Samsara
Samsara means: 'world' or 'wandering' and has strong relations with 'the wheel of life'. The movie shows many different cultures without speaking about it, only background music.

Favorite music:
Hiphop, experimental jazz, indie, lo-fi, folk, punk :)

Artists like Mac Demarco, Raury, Idles, King Krule, Benjamin Clementine and GoGo Penguin

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

(1) I have worked on increasing primary school students’ levels of well-being and happiness by helping to develop ‘Lessons in Happiness’ based on the science of positive psychology, for the company ‘Happiness Suitcase’ 🙃

(2) Rebel the system by taking part in a big blockade of concerned citizens in front of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, to demand our government to act on the current getting-out-of-hand climate- and ecological crises!

“If we do not act like we are in a crisis, people do not believe we are” 💪🏻🔥🌱

(3) Following a 15 day-Vipassana course in complete silence, meditating about 12 hours a day and learning about the Buddhist concepts of impermanence, suffering and the non-self, at Dhammacari Vipassana Meditation Center in Germany 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️

Vipassana means “to see things as they really are”!

Teach, Learn, Share

Topics that I feel passionate about: Positive psychology, sustainability, veganism, meditation and community building

I could share some lessons I learned about positive psychology, the science of happiness and human flourishing! 🌻

Besides that, I would love to share my experiences with environmental activism and sustainable practices.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, Slovenia