Hi there! My name is Victoria, I come from Kiev, Ukraine, but at the moment I'm living and studying in Finland in a town called Jyväskylä. I'm calm and peaceful person, 100% comfortable being all by myself, as well as together with various and diverse people. I like to listen to other people: their stories, opinions, laughs and experiences. I love deep conversations on different topics and I respect others' opinions, even though I have my own strong beliefs and values. I see myself as a very open-minded person, kinda cosmopolitan one (well, that was quite a sophisticated term). The only thing which is probably worth mentioning is that I have zero tolerance policy for any kind of discrimination, so I would appreciate that you take it into account in case if you have opposite views on that.

I love to learn something from each person that I meet and enrich my own cultural story, trying to give something back - even if it's a simple smile and a good mood.

I'm trying to live by philosophy of "if you never try - you will never know". sometimes I feel like I lack confidence and courage to do some things, but I'm trying my best though. and I'm happy that I'm finally able to quit my comfort zone and try out stuff I've never done before

I enjoy both quiet home evenings and busy nightlife; I love spending time in nature as much as I love big city life vibes. It doesn't matter where I travel - I'll always be inspired by wandering around, exploring things, meeting people and collecting precious memories.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love people. And cultural exchange is one of the most interesting things in life for me. Meeting people all around the world has made me ME, and I continue to grow and develop, which would be hardly that interesting without being in a multicultural environment. Couchsurfing is a perfect chance to meet great people from different cultures and backgrounds - and that's why I'm here. simple as that

Interests

any kind of art, film and digital photography, cinema, literature, music, self-expression, people, love and feelings, personal space, Xavier Dolan, underground culture, lgbt community, United Kingdom, museums, beautiful nature, city life, hiking and rafting, Nordic countries, baking, coffee and tea, gym, board games, nights out, animals, helping people, human rights, technology and digital stuff, politics and current global events and news, special atmospheres, cultures, and of course traveling

• animals
• arts
• culture
• literature
• photography
• environment
• human rights
• cooking
• coffee
• baking
• nightlife
• drinking
• politics
• technology
• news
• movies
• board games
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• hiking
• sailing

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I try not to stick to a particular genre, it can be pretty much anything from techno and house to indie, R&B and 70's rock. But I do have some all-time favorites: Florence+The Machine, Johnny Cash, Bombay Bicycle Club, Foals, The Smiths, Years&Years, Arcade Fire, Oasis, Coldplay, Tame Impala, Arctic Monkeys, The Vaccines, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Alt-J, Gypsy & The Cat, Sticky Fingers. I'm also into the traditional Ukrainian music and happy to share it with you

Movies: I think I have watched Lost in Translation for like a million times. This is the number 1 movie for me, each time so intimate and inspirational. Among other favorite ones: Her, Mommy, Laurence Anyways (what a GORGEOUS movie. really!) , Annie Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Les Amours Imaginaires, Pulp Fiction, The Place Beyond the Pines, Youth, Tangerines, Django Unchained, Total Eclipse, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Whiplash

Books and authors: Dostoevsky, Mayakovsky, Hemingway, Brodsky, "Just Kids" by Patti Smith, Gabriel García Márquez, Kafka, modern Ukrainian literature

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Sailing by a river in the North-Western part of Russia, 100 km away from any civilization for 3 weeks. We were even sailing in the White Sea on the inflatable boats. I was 16 at that time and this trip has changed a lot in me and made me stronger mentally

and then I moved abroad all by myself with two huge suitcases in my arms when I've just turned 17. This was so far the best decision of my life, but a bit scary though, I must admit

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to make awesome gingerbread cookies or tasty pies, I can teach some Russian/Ukrainian or practice it with you if you know something already. I think I know plenty of other cool stuff too, it just depends on what you're interested in. we'll figure that out!

and I'm open to anything you'd like to share ;)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can share life and travel experiences, cool stories, something about myself or issues that I care about. I'm happy to cook something (maybe some of my national dishes), have nice conversations, go out somewhere for a drink together - really anything that helps to connect and get to know each other

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Finland, Kazakhstan, Ukraine