Hi, I am Pieter, a young adventurer who is ready to explore the many faces of this earth and its people!

You can mostly find me in Ghent, the absolute highlight in my little country Belgium, where I'm always making music or poetry, meeting old friends and making new ones, and try to get involved in some social or cultural projects.

At age 18 I've made the decision to study Chinese and go live in China a bunch, so that's what I did! That's why I'm living now in the bustling city of Beijing, the cultural heart of China (if you ask me).

Living in Beijing is great because there's so much to discover and there's so many creative and interesting people here. But the city is also quite grey and of course there's the pollution ... so while I'm here I would love to discover more places in China and in Asia. So maybe I'm coming to a place near you soon!

Personality wise I'm very open-minded and always in for a joke but also for serious conversation. Ecology and showing respect to people of all flocks is very dear to me. Music, friends and a thirst to always learn more is what keeps me going. I try to be more in touch with my creative side and use everything I see around me and incorporate it in punky (slam) poetry or other forms of writing.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Apart from the obvious reason (meeting more people as a traveler or as a host and be amazed by encounters with friendly strangers)

... I've also developed new interests for traveling that go beyond just visiting new places and exploring different cultures.

I'm super keen to learn more about anything from how to manage a small farm to how different social enterprises or local NGO works.

So that's why I want to focus my travel on meeting people who do this kind of work and help out a bit if I can to learn more about making a meaningful impact in this world.

Interests

I read a ton about a lot of different subjects and also write a bit myself (short stories/poetry). I love exploring new and old places alike as I'm always up for learning new things or challenging my believes. I also do a lot of sports, play music and like playing board games.

Recently I've gotten more into environmentalism and social enterprises so would love to learn more about different ways to make a positive impact.

• poetry
• environment
• cooking
• board games
• music
• swimming
• languages
• volunteering
• climbing

Music, Movies, and Books

Anything from hip hop to rock, classical to jazz. I read a lot of fiction but also non-fiction. I'm totally not into anything too commercial or poppy. I need honesty in everything I consume.

Favorite bands/musicians: Radiohead, Sun Kil Moon, Sigur Ros, Joanna Newsom, Björk, Kendrick Lamar, Fela Kuti, Big Thief, Kamasi Washington, Low, Nujabes

Favorite authors: Naomi Klein, Ocean Vuong, Peter Frankopan, Alasdair Gray

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

That's probably my one month of interrailing on my own through Europe when I turned 18. Met so many great people then, many whom are still good friends, and learned a great deal about myself too along the way.

The year after I went to China first by car and than by train (transsiberian)! (From Belgium through Germany, Poland, Belarus and Russia)

Teach, Learn, Share

I love learning and teaching languages and guitar. Also, if you want to learn how to open a beer bottle in 46 different ways, I am your man.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A well-cooked meal if you want, as I enjoy cooking a lot and think I'm pretty alright at it (didn't have too many complaints yet). I majored in Sinology so if you want to know anything about China, I'm your man.

Or just good company for a drink or walk around your city.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belarus, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, China, Netherlands