Hey there, you all!
my name is Sophia, I am originally from Berlin, Germany, but spent the last three months living and working in Athens and have some time to see a bit of Italy (and maybe France) in the next weeks.

I basically spent the last three years on a journey trying to figure out what I want in my life which resulted in working for an international-exchange NGO, fixing and rebuilding my best friend's 50 year old red camper van, travelling and mostly volunteering in different refugee related projects in several countries. Most recently I spent 2 months in the children's centre of a refugee camp in northern France and then 3 months working as a German teacher + tutor and organise children's activities in an amazing project for refugees in Athens.

In the future I plan on eventually going to University and would like to study literature / languages, to maybe become a freelance-translator someday..

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think it is one of the most amazing things the Internet is offering us these days- a free network of like-minded people who can connect, share their interests, and help each other out with a place to sleep for a while!

On my way back from Athens to Berlin I plan on traveling through Italy and I would love to be able to avoid the hostel scene, but stay with interesting local people instead :-)

Interests

• thrifting
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• nature
• going out
• veganism
• natural medicine
• cooking and baking
• zero waste
• cultural events
• reading and writing

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy having a soundtrack to my life; sometimes it is the most calming thing to just put your headphones in and be alone with your music and surroundings - I also love love going out to dance, especially outside and all night, that's why I'm longing for (small and not-crowded) festivals in the summer.
My two favorite songs at the moment:
when I need energy on my morning walks
Modern Love by David Bowie
when I'm feeling a bit sentimental
These Days by Nico

I am also a huge book lover, so it is always a challenge for me to limit my selection while traveling (I try to pack light copies of "heavy"content books, to last me longer)- right now I am re-reading the 'Odyssey' and for my travels through Italy I brought Goethes 'Italian Journey', 'Franny & Zooey' by J.D.Salinger (who is a great favorite of mine), and picked up some slightly cheesy books on palm reading and Zen Buddhism in a used book store here in Athens.

My all-time favorite authors include Hermann Hesse, Virginia Woolf, Gabriel García Márquez, David Foster Wallace, Haruki Murakami, George Orwell, Anaïs Nin, Arthur Schnitzler, John Irving, J.D. Salinger, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Jane Austen and so many more

+ I also loved the A Song Of Ice And Fire series and Harry Potter will always be close to my heart :-)

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm super interested in evironmental topics - at the moment I'm learning a lot about reducing waste, producing my own natural cosmetics and veganism. I would love to exchange information and ideas with like-minded people. I also really like to cook good and healthy food!

Countries I’ve Visited

Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Togo, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Greece