I'm a Ukrainain-American who was born in Kiev, grew up in the United States, and am currently living back in Ukraine again. As a hairstylist, I work for one of my father's salons in downtown Kiev. My career brings me much fun and joy as I am able to be creative and make people beautiful. I have an amazing family who love and support me in everything I do. What can I say? I'm truly blessed and I believe in spreading the love.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I was introduced to couchsurfing 2 years ago through new friends I met at a party. I loved the energy and the idea of belonging to such a huge, worldwide network of people. I love meeting people from all over the world and learning about new cultures. I believe that we are all children of the world and must learn as much as we can about one another. Being able to travel and connect instantly with other couchsurfers helps boost the process.

Interests

Over the years my interests and hobbies have evolved into and became focused on healthy living. For the most part, I stick to a very clean diet...constantly searching for new ways to tweak and improve recipes by using the healthiest ingredients. Having cooked for myself since childhood, I can proudly say that I'm very skilled in the kitchen and I absolutely love cooking for others. I also work out regularly...mainly jogging and jumping rope, with some weight lifting when I still have energy left over. One of my goals is to be able to jog (at least once) in as many countries as possible. Riding my bike or skateboard with a group of friends is also very fun. I picked up that ritual when I resided in Venice Beach, CA. There is just something magical about mobbing through streets with tons of people going from point A to point B.
During my down time I find an outlet in being creative with my hands, whether it be sewing/knitting/drawing/ and, of course, styling hair. Sometimes I play with Photoshop and Illustrator, given that I'm a photo/graphics enthusiast...which usually turns into veeery lengthy sessions :)

• cooking
• recipes
• dieting
• running
• working out
• partying
• traveling
• socializing
• knitting
• drawing
• cycling
• skateboarding
• animation
• beaches
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Without music my life would not be the same. I absolutely LOVE music. I listen to music at work for 12 hours, non-stop, every work shift. I listen to music when I jog. I have music playing at home, in the background, pretty much always. My favorite genre is house/dance/lounge music...Growing up I used to listen to R&B/hip hop/rap/electronic music, therefore it does currently slip into my playlist at times. I am open to all music genres, however, especially when heard live. The last few concerts I attended was to hear classical music at the Philharmonic, Okean Elzy (Ukrainian rock band), and Depeche Mode.
Books one will find on my shelf range from biographies of great personalities, romance novels, self-improvement books, classics, cook books, art/design books, etc. I pick up whatever genre I'm in the mood for at the moment. "Seth Speaks" by Jane Roberts is one I enjoy and have re-read several times...it always trips me out...
Movies which interest me most are comedies and documentaries. Comedy to unwind and documentary to learn something new. The latest documentary I watched was about Nirvana's Kurt Cobain.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have done many amazing things in my life, but if I had to choose one it would be completing the Tough Mudder competition in New Jersey (October 2012). It's a 12 mile (19K) military style obstacle course designed to test one's physical and mental strength. I climbed muddy hills/monkey bars/10 foot walls, crawled through narrow pipes/muddy field with electric wires hangin overhead, jumped into bodies of iced water...to name a few, all while running in between. I completed the course within 2.5 hours! Then I slept for an entire day afterwards. The camaraderie between all participants was so powerful. Rather than "competing" we were all helping one another along the way...I gained a lot, personally, from that experience.

What I Can Share with Hosts

My fun personality

Countries I’ve Visited

Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

Poland, Ukraine, United States