Hi, I’m Sontra. It’s an odd name. I’m the only Sontra of Finland. There is, however, an old spa town in the middle of Germany named Sontra, and a peninsula on the Viet coast called Son Tra. I have more namesakes in towns abroad than in people at home!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love travel and the thought of being a nomad, so obviously when I was in uni around other impressionable youths and watched the movie Into The Wild, I was super glad to discover that CouchSurfing existed. I had a couple of experiences both surfing and hosting back then - more than a decade ago.

When I started out on a solo backpacking journey in early 2019, I thought I would find my own hosts. Does that make sense? I dreamt of hitchhiking and meeting people spontaneously. However, the circumstances all pointed to February as the-time-to-go. So there I was, in a snowstorm, balking at the thought of hitchhiking. I realised I needed to get this thing going one step at a time, and not freeze to death in the cold. My next step was therefore to reach out to the community through CouchSurfing, and hope for a mild pleasant spring.

Interests

• arts
• singing
• architecture
• dancing
• japanese food
• video games
• reading
• painting
• drawing
• music
• psychology
• cinema
• nature
• tea
• spirituality
• theatre
• cuisine
• nerdy stuff
• programming
• tarot
• hot showers

Music, Movies, and Books

My favourite musician is Kate Bush.
My favourite movie is Lost in Translation.
My favourite book is The Lord of the Rings.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My solo backpacking journey was the most amazing experience. It was a challenge to my ability to function under pressure, a test of my faith, a demonstration of serendipity, and deeply rewarding dive into the beauty of Europe.

I didn't plan any of it. I just did whatever my heart told me to do next. I was often writing hosting applications the day before, or even on the day of when I needed accommodation. I was always moving, doing everything on-the-go. My life was in two small bags. I saw how drastically Europe changes from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, with just a few short miles between them. Travelling along the road really does beat taking a plane!

I went from Finland to Sweden to Denmark to Germany to the Netherlands to Belgium to France to Italy to Spain to Portugal to Hungary to Poland to the Czech Republic to the UK. 👍

Teach, Learn, Share

I have a really wide range of interests, and the list seems to just keep growing the older I get, so I would love to have a chat about whatever is on your mind.

I have noticed that even though all of us have our core interests, maybe even life-long hobbies, those are usually not the things that define an encounter and the ensuing conversation. After all, we are all evolving and expanding into new directions every day. The rate of overall expansion may be faster in children, but that can't compete with the immense momentum we build up as adults!

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you wanna sit still for a little while, I can draw your portrait. :))

If you fancy a talk about spirituality, I’d love to get into it. :))

If you like stories, I’m very open. But I’m also a good listener.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macao, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Åland Islands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Denmark, Finland, Poland, United Kingdom