CURRENT MISSION

Living, communicating, beeing insipired!

ABOUT ME

Hi there! :)
I'm Maria, I live in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. I would describe myself as a calm, sometimes talkative, sometimes not very much person, curiouse for the new things. I really like to travel and to know more about this world.

PHILOSOPHY

WE ARE ONE. The world is my home and I want it to be a nice place to live in.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm in couchsurfing, because I think that traveling is a wonderful thing to beat stereotypes and tresspass beyond the comfort zone. It's a chance to enrich one's life and get new experinces. A chance to meet wonderful people. And it's really nice to know that I can help people who come to my country, proposing my place to stay or my company.
HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING
At the very start I was quite active, I traveled as well as hosted people at my place, then came a period when I was not so active , but now this period ended and I decided to start anew. Actually, I think I could have been more generouse and friendly, and open to people I have met, but I still have a chance to improve. I really liked this article about how to be a better couchsurfing guest and host : http://francistapon.com/Travels/Advice/How-to-be-a-Good-Couchsurfing-Guest-and-Host

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
I have hosted Johannes from Germany and Vladimir from Moldova at my place. I still remember Johannes presented me small stories he wrote. That was something really special! Myself, I was exellentely hosted by Jacek in Gdynia. Actually, it was the first couchsurfing experience for both of us and it was a nice beginning. Then I had a wonderful experince in the Ukraine, first in Lviv, then in Crimea. My host in Lviv had an open heart and considered that we should share as much as possible with other people, our possesions as well - borrow things when needed and of course propose people to stay at our place. My hosts in Simferopol were also very nice to me. Not only they gave me a place to stay (for a long time by the way), but also presented me with some things they didn't need any more and we also had some really warm talks about life :) And I also met with people who came to Minsk and in the places I myself traveled.

Interests

I'm interested in everything going on in the world right now, from politics to environmental problems. I'm not very good in the first one, know more about the second one, but do my best to learn more. The possibility of nowdays tecnology inspires me a lot. And I'm really interested and inspired by the Venus Project, designed by a really geniuse of our times - Jacque Fresco. He designed how the future world could look like, using our power of minds and applying tecnologies. Really interesting and worth trying to my mind.
I do kendo - japanese martial art using samurai-like armoure and a bamboo stick. I knew about it thanks to my friend from Austria 7 years ago and practice it ever after. It helps me to be stronger, more attentive and not to rush.
Traveling - for my love to go beyond the comfort zone.
Sometimes I like to draw, do some handicraft and play piano!

• drawing
• psychology
• nature
• japan
• kendo
• tecnology
• futurism
• playing piano
• arquitecture
• cience
• environmental protection

Music, Movies, and Books

Documentaries: Oceans, Trashed, Green Planet, Babies, Chasing Ice
Musik: classical (mostly piano music), meditative, chillout: Ludovico Einaudi, Adrian von Ziegler, Deuter, Edward Shearmur, Udo Ürgens, Roger Miller, Pink Martini.
Books: The Road Less Traveled by M.Scott Peck, Nonviolent communication by Marshall Rosenberg, A Guide to Rational Living by Albert Ellis, Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Started to practice kendo in order to one day meet a person whom I really liked, but I actually liked kendo as well.

Teach, Learn, Share

Kendo, vegeterian recepies, russian, medition :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

Books that are on my shelves, you can read them while you are staying. My company :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belarus