CURRENT MISSION

Ending up somewhere between the post-Soviet world, Africa and the Middle East ;)

ABOUT ME

I love traveling, hitchhiking and living abroad! I can spend hours looking at maps and dreaming... I also love learning languages, meeting new people, talking, dreaming, hiking, biking,...!
These are now 20 years that I don't live in my motherland, living every year in a different country and I enjoy it a lot. I never feel homesick and never get tired of traveling. I guess I'll continue for long because I want to explore as many places as possible and still many remaining, like Africa, South America, Antarctica, Oceania, etc ;). But I must say that my favorite places so far are the Russian-speaking world, from Central Asia to the Caucasus, the Middle-East and Africa :).

It is a few years that I am teaching French as a second language. This job have given me the chance to live for a few months in many countries and not very common places like Belarus, Iranian Kurdistan or Yakutia, where I was often the only foreigner around.

From September 2023 till at least July 2025 I will be living and working in a remote town called Moanda, in the equatorial forest of Gabon. Come to visit me there! During this time, I will try to explore Gabon, the neighboring countries and maybe some other countries on the African continent.

My instagram: instagram.com/solennehorellou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solenne.horellou
YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UC_6dgq9BUf2ZbYZLvVuG3Tg?view_as=subscriber
Twitter: @SolenneHorellou

PHILOSOPHY

I try to enjoy each day and to do a lot. There are so many great places to see and great people to meet!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I surf a lot when I am traveling. When I settle in a new place, CS groups are also a great way to connect with local people, find helpful people and make friends. I love hosting and refuse only if it's impossible. I have organized CS meetings and events in my hometown, but also in other places where I lived.
I truly love CS because it has definitely changed my life, for better.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Regular user of CS and HC :-)), more often hosted than hosting. CS is like a drug ;)

Interests

I love LIFE, traveling and people! I also love cinema, photography, cooking, talking for hours, hitchhiking, CS/HC, hiking, mountains, skiing, biking, meeting people and friends. I can hardly stay for long doing nothing and I hate routine.

Some little interviews, articles and video:
https://www.globestoppeuse.com/autostoppeuses-fantastiques-solenne/
https://forgingsignificance.com/solenne/
https://99fm.iwits.me/uncategorized/a-hitchhikers-account-of-namibia/
https://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/actu/douze-ans-sur-la-route-pour-l-inlassable-auto-stoppeuse
http://www.akb.bzh/spip.php?article1204&lang=fr
https://dinwadunia.ma/contributeur/
https://interviewsculture.wordpress.com/2018/05/08/solenne-quand-je-disais-que-jetais-francaise-le-visage-des-gens-silluminait/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_6dgq9BUf2ZbYZLvVuG3Tg
https://www.facebook.com/productionsabstract/videos/2163701863877763/
http://news.ykt.ru/mobile/article/80113
https://fr.sputniknews.com/amp/russie/201811221039009307-francaise-solenne-horollou-siberie-yakoutie/?fbclid=IwAR0zI6AWI8oiVW4OAQiycqQ5MNWKki8AMwZpzu-QzN6O-hT6_XUDaOqTs8w
https://www.alarabiya.net/ar/saudi-today/2019/12/14/%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%B4-%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%AC%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86

• culture
• photography
• cooking
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• cycling
• hiking
• camping
• skiing
• cartography
• teaching
• languages
• tourism
• hitchhiking
• mountains
• talking
• family
• children

Music, Movies, and Books

I love plenty of different movies, music styles and books and I usually try to get into the movies, music and literature of the place/country where I am living. But, as to books, a big plus for travelogues/books about travels :)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

HITCHHIKING!!!!! I love it! Hitchhiked from -45 to 45°C, under snow, rain, wind, etc ;), in mountains as in deserts, in big cities as in the middle of nowhere, wherever in Mexico, Siberia, Thailand, Middle-East and all over Europe ;)

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach French (supposedly my main job :) and some other languages. I can cook, tell travel stories, teach how to hitchhike or survive abroad. I love talking :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I will be happy to host in my remote town in Gabon

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State, Zambia, Åland Islands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belarus, Belgium, Djibouti, France, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Namibia, Poland, Russian Federation, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan

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