CURRENT MISSION
It’s all about life experience and love!
Traveling is an incredible way to learn about other cultures, meet new people, broaden our horizons.

ABOUT ME
I am an open-minded, thoughtful, and easy-going person. I am a vegetarian practicing yoga and meditation.

I share my travel photos on Instagram and Tumblr
http://instagram.com/sayakakim
http://sayakakim9.tumblr.com/

PHILOSOPHY
It is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
I believe that we are all connected together in this world. Our decisions and actions influence each other. Everybody needs compassion. Dalai Lama said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible”.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
I traveled in Asian countries during winter seasons 2013-2015. CS was one of the greatest experiences I had during my journey. After my Asian trip, I hosted and showed Astana to travelers. I love meeting new people and telling them about the stories and projects I am working on.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
I have surfed several times, in Malaysia, Nepal, India, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand. I've met really bright and helpful people through CS and I am very thankful for that. I think that CS is about having a cultural exchange and making friends around the world.

I have hosted a few times in Astana:
Paolo Ghidini, Italy, August 2016
Mansoor Shaikh, India, August 2016
Mathilde Audiard, France, December 2015
Arthur Tam and 毅琪 Li, Hong Kong, December 2015
Konstantin Novakovic, Serbia, September 2015
Artem Utkin, Russia, August 2015
Mauricio Herrero, Argentina, August 2015

Interests

Social change
Photography
Traveling
Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan
Buddhist meditations
Hiking
Culture
Visual Art

• arts
• culture
• humanities
• photography
• vegetarian
• yoga
• meditation
• news
• movies
• traveling
• hiking
• history
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

I am a classic movies nerd, I like listening to music, specifically, Bossa Nova. Also, I really enjoy reading. My favorites are Erich Maria Remarque, Boris Pasternak.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I graduated from one of the top universities in Russia and CIS. I had a prestigious and well-paid job in Astana. At that time I dreamed of traveling and exploring the world. Finally, I quit and decided to devote my time and energy to be on my own. Overall, I traveled in Asia for fifteen months. I went trekking in Nepal to see the Langtang range and I climbed Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka, more than 5 000 steps to see the wonderful sunrise. I did vipassana retreat in Sri Lanka and Thailand, and I was taught by Burmese monks in Malaysia. I also stayed at monasteries in Vietnam. I hitchhiked in Thailand, Malaysia, and China. After all, from my experience traveling is not about seeing places or going to certain destinations but about the people I meet along the way. Indeed, I got acquainted with great and interesting people. Before I started traveling, with my peers, I launched a grassroots organization in order to support foster-children and promote volunteerism in Kazakhstan. As for now, I am a full-time graduate student at Kansas State University, learning about civic studies, the intersection of capacity building, community engagement, and visual art!

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach.
As I am a certified yoga teacher, having graduated from courses in Russia as well as from international kundalini yoga courses I can teach yoga. I have a second degree in Reiki (healing system).

Learn.
I like learning about other people's experiences not only in traveling but also about their lives. Everyone has an interesting story to share. Travelling widens our knowledge of geography, different cultures, people and opens our minds beyond our world.

Share.
I would like to share some helpful tips about traveling in my country if you like.
Check these links out to know more:
http://astanatimes.com/2016/04/best-for-kids-fund-prepares-orphans-for-transition-to-post-orphan-life/

What I Can Share with Hosts

I could help by taking good photos and preparing presentations, data visualization. I can teach a yoga class and mindfulness practices.

Countries I’ve Visited

China, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, United States