We live in a one room flat in the outskirts of Stockholm. Unfortunately, our current landlord does not accept us having guests over (which means, as you can understand, no couchsurfers either).

We are of course very sad about this. However, don’t hesitate to ask for a pub crawl or coffee hangout! We still want to be part of this community even though we are more limited at the moment.

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Life missions:
- find the perfect black dress (should be achievable)
- Read all the books in my bookshelf (quite impossible)
- travel the world (more possible than finishing all my books...)

I’m an introvert, but once you get to know me you’ll discover my silly sides. I am more of an listener than a talker, but have many stories to tell. I spend too much time in front of a screen, on Netflix or on instagram, but it’s all because I want to be up-to-date with what people are talking about (and for my own pleasure, of course). I have been studying on-and-off at the university for the the last 6 years. By now, I have a bachelor degree in Political Science and I’m doing my Master’s in Social Anthropology at Stockholm University. Still, I could study for another 6 years - there is too much to learn and read!

I’m dreaming of discovering all the well-known and unknown places on the globe; having a picnic with red wine and “everything that tastes good” by the Seine; hiking in the Swedish mountains; dipping my toes in the sea on every coast of the Iberian peninsula; go on a 36 train ride across India; enjoying the sun on the Colombian country side and go to underground bars in Tokyo, Bucharest or Yerevan. I try to visit a new country outside Europe at least once a year.

I have a burning creativity within me. Writing is something I want to develop. Mostly, I take photos with my Canon. More recently, I have started using my analogue camera and loving the whole process, from taking a shot to the day you finally get to see that newly developed film roll. Also, cooking has lately been an activity that makes me calm on the inside and an expression of art. Concerts, books, academic life, a visit to the museum and the couchsurfing community keep my inspiration going.

My Instagram @gidloef33mm (need to find a better username tho).
Other photos you will find on: http://sandragidloef.tumblr.com/

More recent references can be found on my boyfriend’s (Sarp Bamyaci) profile. We mostly co-host and travel through his page.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I had known about CS for some years but it wasn’t until I met my boyfriend, who were an active host at the time, that I really understood the beauty of the CS philosophy.

I have met some amazing and inspiring people through this community and that’s why I’m still hanging around.

Interests

I enjoy meeting new people, travelling, follow news and discuss politics, music, literature, language, feminism, drinking beer, cook vegetarian food, listen to podcasts, art, live music, photography, watching documentaries and much more.

• literature
• photography
• dining
• cooking
• beer
• vegetarian
• drinking
• politics
• news
• traveling
• music
• volunteering
• analog photography

Music, Movies, and Books

Authors: Sylvia Plath, Karin Boye, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Vladimir Nabokov, Patti Smith, Haruki Murakami, Birgitta Stenberg, Kerstin Thorvall, Märta Tikkanen, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kim Thúy, Svetlana Aleksijevitj, Åsne Seierstad, George Orwell, Wislawa Szymborska, Selma Lagerlof, Hannah Arendt, Dostoyevsky, Tone Ditlevsen, Albert Camus, Bodil Malmsten, Torgny Lindgren, Susan Sontag, Gun Britt Sundström

Swedish artist Annika Norlin is a goddess and I love everything she does, especially her lyrics. Otherwise I listen to most genres, except RnB and sticky pop songs.

I love documentaries and consider it as a great hobby of mine. Films and tv series I have enjoyed are: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Diary of Teenage Girl, Leon, Something in the Air, Before Sunrise, 2046, Enskilda Samtal, Truman Show, Oslo August 31, Annie Hall, Broken Flowers, Los Abrazos Rotos, Upp Till Kamp, Im Juli, Goodbye Lenin, Peep Show.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

It's impossible to only write down one amazing thing so I'll be a rebel and choose a few unforgettable events in my life:

• Worked as a volunteer in India when I was 17 years old (2011).
• Lived and studied at a language school in New Delhi after graduating higher secondary school (2013).
• Trekking in Nepal (2014).
• Studied Spanish in Bogota, Colombia, during two months (2015).
• Study trip to Rabat, Morocco, where we visited the Swedish embassy, UNHCR, a human rights organization and some other very interesting places (2016).
• Went on an East Asian trip to visit my Japanese and South Korean friends I hadn't met for a few years (2016).
• Armenia surprised me in every way and I hope to go back there one day because it was so amazing. Yerevan is such a cute and safe capital and the Armenians are the friendliest people I have ever met.
• Study abroad (in Poland) was the toughest and most developing experience I have ever had.

Teach, Learn, Share

Besides answering all your questions about Swedish culture and politics, I have some really nice vegetarian recipes to share with you

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

India, Poland, Sweden