CURRENT MISSION

visit all castles in Poland; go back to Samsun; go to Bieszczady;

ABOUT ME

I've had various interests and hobbies over the years. As a kid I was obsessed with dinosaurs and wanted to become a paleontoolgist, after that I was interested in nature and weather events. As a young teenager I watched and read animes and mangas, including GitS, Dragon Ball, VGA, Naruto, NGE, DN and so on.
I've become a huge fantasy fan (or a fanatic) the day I saw The Lord of the Rings. I read all of Tolkien's books afterwards. I've been in love with fantasy genre ever since.
That's when I also joined historical reenactment group working in the 3rd largest castle in Poland - Knight's Brotherhood in Castle Książ - and in 2009 joined second group called Silesian Mercenaries. Both were 15th century reenactment groups.
In the meantime I graduated in english studies (english philology), joining Erasmus programme (in Samsun, Turkey) on my second year, which was the biggest adventure in my life so far. I was studying on the University of Wroclaw for my MA, and graduated in 2014.
I worked as an english language teacher in collage and primary schools.
Currently working as a tour guide in the Książ Castle.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to meet people from distant lands and, if possible, show them around my city and it's surroundings, entertaining them with tales.

Interests

A couple of years ago everything finally made sense. "I had that sense of recognition. Here was something which I had known all my life, only I didn't know it."

I love walking - despite the pleasant or unpleasant weather - in the woods, into the wild; through the mountain paths above the clouds; in sunny green or golden fields. I love nature and I need to be close to the green world.

I love reading fantasy books, taking me on many adventures, but also offering a spiritual regeneration from this, sometimes grey and dim, world.

I love listening to the nature music as well as to the "natural" music, created by playing drums, horns, and bones. When I listen to Wardruna (which is the best example of shamanic music) I feel as if I was in a deep dark forest, near a stream, or on a mountain ridge, long before man claimed the land. I feel like I'm home.

I enjoy taking photos, currently with Nikon camera, purely amateur though. Wherever I go I take my camera and try to capture the moment and remember it.

Everything is connected to each other: fantasy books, wandering in the wilderness, shamanic music, taking photos and my faith. I'm still looking for my inner self, for my true faith, but I feel closer to the old gods of my forefathers.

• books
• folklore
• photography
• folk music
• hiking
• history
• languages
• mountains
• mythology
• english
• adventure
• forests
• shamanism
• wandering
• fantasy
• local history
• castles
• medieval history
• celtic music
• celtic culture
• slavic culture
• germanic culture
• demonology

Music, Movies, and Books

"All things are known, but most things are forgotten. It takes a special magic to remember them."
Wardruna creates that magic in their music, echoing through the centuries. Thus, Wardruna is my numer one.
I also enjoy folk, sometimes symphonic metal, but also rock and pop.

Too many movies I have seen to remember and write down all of the titles... to be continued.

Fantasy books like The Lord of the Rings, Mythago Wood, The Witcher, A Song of Ice and Fire, Miss Peregrine, Saxon Saga, The Hussite Trilogy;
History books on Slavic, Celtic and Germanic mythology and demonology;
History books on Silesia and Wałbrzych;
Psychology books by Cambpell and Jung;

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Erasmus in Samsun, Turkey... and everything that happened there, including - but not limited to - belly dancing.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you, though I'm not an expert, about:

- Slavic and Germanic mythology and demonology
- history of Silesia (historia Śląska)
- Książ Castle
- english language

I can learn from you...

- everything.

I can share with you:

- stories
- legends
- experiences

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can amuse you with marvelous stories from the ancient and not-so-ancient past, with myths and legends from the historical region of Silesia (Wałbrzych and surroundings in particular), but also from Slavic and Germanic mythology.

As an addition I can be your personal guide in the Książ Castle, should you or any of your family/friends come to Wałbrzych for a visit.

If you prefer alcohol then I can offer you Wałbrzych's black vodka.

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Poland, Scotland, Turkey