Not your typical "easygoing, openminded, loves traveling and meeting new people" kinda person. My name is Рахела/Rahela, Rex for short. I've lived in Belgrade my whole life and it still doesn't fail to surprise me with its hidden beauties.

My idea of a perfect Saturday night includes staying home with my husband and training our pupperoni, but I also love chilling with truckdrivers in a shady kafana while listening to Serbian folk music. Our dog is named after the Slavic goddess of beauty, and even thought she won't be winning any beauty contests anytime soon, we may have picked an extraordinary intelligent animal.

I have way too many opinions on politics and social issues, concerning both Serbia and USA. Even though these two countries are different universes, comparing them has opened my eyes to the fact that the world is indeed a huge network and that one human experience in most cases isn't unique, but quite relatable.

I firmly believe humans need structures to function and thrive, be it gender roles or any other kind of a societal expectation. The idea of personal expression with limits makes the most sense to me because, on one hand, rigid rules create an abusive environment fueled by fear, but extreme individualism completely free of consequences leads to anarchy, which is just not sustainable. I think modern feminism is holding women back from achieving their full potential and instead is turning them into a neurotic, directionless mess more focused on complaining online than nourishing their feminine warrior spirit. Slavic tradition is beautiful and it pains me to think the younger generations are abandoning it for the promise of shiny Western lies, poor vocabulary, short attention span and instant gratification. Miss, this is a Wendy's, I know.

I'm a krav magician and a poet, or at least, I used to actively pursue these passions before Corona. First my facial features get rearranged, then I come home and write about lost loves and teeth. I don't write anymore because the main theme in nearly all of my poems was yearning, and right now I have almost everything I've ever hoped for. A new friend from a land far away would be cool though.

Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is my favourite travel style as there is something incredibly freeing in letting go of your well-adjusted persona and becoming a dirty hippie for 10 days a year. Aimlessly wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city for so long that taking off my backpack gives me a phantom limb feeling was my window to the fantasy land of no responsibilities aside from survival. I say "was", because my lust for untamed chaos has been replaced with the desire to settle down and live an idyllic life. After all, mountains won't remember you, people will.

I prefer to think about myself as of a traveler, and not a tourist. That means I don't like wandering around inside a bubble like a visitor in a zoo, but rather integrate myself as well as I can. I tend to remember the names of all the places I've visited, of all the local food I've tried, and as a linguist by profession, to learn as many words as my brain can soak in.

My communication skills have also improved quite a bit. I take pride in being able to hold a respectful conversation with a complete opposite of me, as long as they have the same approach. Diversity of thought brings the color to what would otherwise be a bleak factory of clones.

On a deeper level, Couchsurfing has taught me the importance of gratitude and hospitality.

Interests

• tattoos
• dumpster diving
• urban exploration
• nature
• mythology
• flea markets
• krav maga
• mountain hiking
• malinois

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: My playlist sounds like it was put together by an Orthodox priest, a First Balkan War participant, the goth kids from South Park and some drunk chick on the bathroom floor. Artists such as Pelageya, Božo Vrećo and Al Dino make me fill my rakija glass with sweet, sweet tears.

Movies: My favourite genre is realistic horror, but my favourite movie is a documentary called Samsara.

TV shows: Seinfeld, BoJack Horseman, Rick and Morty, Ljubav navika panika, Sex and the City, Black Mirror, True Detective, La Casa de Papel, Happy!, High Maintenance.

Books: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has made the biggest impact on me. I like the philosophy of Marquis de Sade, even though sometimes it's hard to stomach. Nietzsche has also influenced my way of thinking a lot. I enjoy both Haruki and Ruy Murakami, depending on the mood. And of course, I grew up reading Tolkien and Pratchett.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I wrote a beautiful poem to my catfish.

I went on an epic backpacking journey through Bulgaria, Turkey and Kosovo where I almost died, got raped and got married, but somehow made it back home alive and in one piece.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Delicious Serbian dishes! Also, I'm a babushka's dream.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Serbia