Unfortunately, I've never been able to host, since I lived in a student appartment with roommates that were scared of the concept. However, since a few months, I have a place of my own, which means that I can finally return the favor. I don't live in a big city, but my place is quite central in the Netherlands and public transport is very good (although somewhat expensive).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Since I was a kid I always felt the need to be on my own. To travel and see other cultures. It was just that, however, a need or a dream. Then I saw "Into the Wild". And another time, and again. After watching it five times, I knew I had to venture out. It started with small hitchhike trips, but those got bigger. I started couchsurfing too, which is absolutely amazing!

Deep down I know I will extend my travels up to a point I'm 100% vagabonding. But for now, I want to finish my studies first...

Interests

I absolutely love to write. When I'm not writing, I tend to just fantasise about my stories. In a way, I'm living as much in my fiction as in the real world.

Also, I like languages. I used to be a physics and math guy, but since I started studying linguistics, I'm having difficulties to shut up about it. And the best thing is: language is everywhere!

After Linguistics, I switched to studying AI. That might sound weird, but there is a big area where both fields overlap: Natural Language Processing. This is the study of 'teaching' a computer to understand language. It used to be only a small part of all AI research, but with technologies like GPT, people started realising how information dense language can be. AI technologies and implementations, as well as their possible effects on the future of humankind, is similarly to languages, a topic I will never shut up about.

Sometimes I tell people I like traveling as well, but if I'm honest, traveling really is a manifestation of my love for stories. I love meeting people, hearing their stories, their history and their dreams. That's why I hitchhike a lot; when hitchhiking you are together with complete strangers for sometimes a few hours, yet you know after the ride you won't see each other ever again. That's the perfect ground for deep and personal conversations.

Lastly, perhaps my biggest interest is: learning. I love the feeling, after someone explains something to me, of knowing something you didn't know before. Conversely, I also enjoy explaining stuff, because knowing you can show someone else something about the world they weren't yet aware of, is just as fulfilling as learning new stuff yourself.

• writing
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• traveling
• canoeing
• freelancing
• languages
• hitchhiking
• language exchange
• gaming

Music, Movies, and Books

I really like listening to tropical house and my favorite tv series is (ofcourse) Game of Thrones, though I watch a lot, like: Supernatural, Grimm, Dexter (!), Da vinci's demons, Mr. Robot, la Casa de Papel, Black Mirror etc.

The best film ever made must be Into the Wild.

I like reading as well: fantasy, thriller and mystery. I don't read a lot lately, but I think I should start again. Any recommendations?

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I helped a stranger with gardening. Never made anyone that happy with such a simple act.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm not one for practical knowledge, meaning I can't teach you how to juggle, make music, dance or anything like that. I always liked learning and most of my free time is spent learning new things, either through the internet or through stories people told me. I'd be more than happy to share my opinion on several topics, varying from religion to science and from lifestyles to language (the latter is something I often talk about, just warn me if it's getting boring!)

However, my most important tip is: ask for help. And not only because asking for help when you need it should be completely normalized, no, because people enjoy helping others. The moments when I asked for help, whether it was while hitchhiking, couchsurfing or just random people during my travels, were moments you saw them shine. Almost everyone I asked for help visibly become more happy and satisfied after they were able to offer help.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My view on the world and if a host wants something more useable, I can cook some typical Dutch food?

Countries I’ve Visited

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Netherlands