CURRENT MISSION

travel is not about mass-produced guidebooks but about personal connections.

ABOUT ME

I'm an artist and researcher, currently doing a PhD in Germany. I come from the south of Brazil, and have traveled a lot around Brazil, but have never been to the Amazon, which is of course the first thing people ask me when they learn I'm from Brazil! :) I have lived for 4 years in New York City and it was an amazing experience, I did my Masters in Media Studies there and it was hard to get to terms with the idea that it's just impossible to go to all the "unmissable" concerts, events, exhibits and stuff going on in the city. Now I'm living in Berlin, I like places where the winter is cold because then in the spring people blossom up and really make a point of enjoying the good things to do outside in the sun. I also love all the bike lanes in the city and it's amazing how 2-year old kids are already cycling around.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Being a student once again means conferences to attend in many different places around the world and couchsurfing is one of my favorite ways of meeting local people, getting tips of things do to around and having the chance to stay with the amazing folks who open their homes to fellow travelers. I have participated in couchsurfing meetings, hosted people and also stayed at other people's couches.

Interests

I enjoy cities with nature (lakes, parks...) and I love biking and walking around. I'm also always looking for interesting art exhibitions (more on the weird side than the traditional one) and places off the beaten path. One of the good things of meeting people in couchsurfing is getting tips of places to go that are not obvious but really bring a special flavor to the place.

• arts
• concerts
• walking
• clothing
• traveling
• socializing
• cycling
• communications
• parks
• lakes

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The first time I lived outside of my home town, it was in the US in Portland, Oregon. It was a completely different lifestyle for me, my friends lived in a converted warehouse, got all their things either from the trash or from an incredibly cheap second-hand outlet (furniture for 5 dollars, clothes for a few cents). I bought a car at an auction for 20 dollars (it was for my sister's boyfriend, I actually hate driving). It was great to have webdesign skills because it was the time of the Internet bubble and I could work for 3 days a month and pay all the bills. I also loved the opportunity to learn new skills (like how to change a car window) because it was much more fun to do it myself and learn something new than to do something I already knew to earn money to pay someone else.

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