Hi everybody!

Born and raised in Germany, I lived in Vienna, Austria, for 15 years. Vienna became my second home, the city is incredibly wonderful. After finishing my studies in Marine Biology and Environmental Management I worked in a major energy company as an environmental expert.

I started traveling several years ago. At first small weekend trips to European cities. I spent the summers with family and friends in Denmark, Hungary, Italy and Croatia. I worked two months in Turkey during university for a natural protection project. But that was not enough. I got bitten by the travel bug.

So the greater trips followed soon: Thailand in 2011, Vietnam in 2012, California in 2014, Japan in 2015, Iran in 2015, 2016 and again in 2017.

I changed my style of travel. Years ago I planned down every trip to the most minute detail. I read tons of books, travel guides and blogs. And as a consequence I ended up where most tourists end up – with the crowds on the hotspots and trails everybody visits. I didn’t like that. So I stopped reading and researching before a trip. And I discovered a new way of traveling.

I tried hitch hiking the first time in Croatia and Bosnia and couch surfing in Iran. I was completely blown away by the friendliness and hospitality of the people I met. Getting in contact with local people was never easier. I met countless people on the road and through couch surfing. They showed me their city, village or region, they introduced me to their friends and family, they invited me to their homes, work places, university, birthday parties and family celebrations.

There was one problem though. Five weeks of vacation every year were not enough to satisfy my wanderlust. Although I somehow managed to use every single public holiday and long weekends for my travels, that was not enough. When I traveled I needed some time to adopt, to reach the travel flow. But when I finally succeeded, I was already heading back to the airport going home. I needed more time. I needed to book a one-way ticket. With no date set for a return.

After I quit my job in early 2017, finally, I was free to do anything I wanted. And there was one thing I dreamed of for years. Hitting the road for a longer time.

It was in Iran where I met my fiancé Samira back in 2015. We found a new home base in Tbilisi, Georgia, from where we explored Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. In late 2017 we moved back to Tehran and continued to explore the wonderful country of Iran ever since. I work as a photographer and cinematographer, if you are interested in my work, check out my website www.visualsbeyond.com

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to meet people from all over the world and listen to their stories. Simple as it is, but this makes me happy...

I started with CS in Iran last year. To date - this was my best experience ever. I liked this country and its people so much that I came back in 2016 - and will visit my Iranian friends again in 2017 and 2018.

Interests

Music, Languages, Movies, Photography

Music, Movies, and Books

It is incredibly hard to pick a favorite music, movie or book. But if I have to, it would be:

Movie: Inception, Swiss Army Man, Babel
Series: Game of Thrones, Narcos, Breaking Bad, Westworld, Friends
Music: Coldplay, Revolverheld, Iranian Traditional Music, all kind of Electronic Music
Book: The Neverending Story (German, by Michael Ende)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I hitchhiked in Croatia and Bosnia, which was a wonderful experience full of little stories.

But the most amazing thing ever was traveling Iran in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. I met incredibly wonderful people in Tehran, Esfahan and Sanandaj (Kurdistan) who I can now call good friends. Iran is where my heart is.

Teach, Learn, Share

"There are no foreign lands, it is the traveller only who is foreign."

-anonymus

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories, experiences, photography, I can take portraits, travel tips, share pictures, cook

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Georgia, Germany, Iran