Hi beautiful people!
My name is Valerie, a Dutchy of 23 years old. I've been living and studying in Amsterdam for the past couple of years and loving it. It's beautiful, it's vibrant. Many of my friends there are international, which has added so much to my life that I can't really put into words. I love going on adventures, especially when it is an adventure most people don't want to go on. Like going on nighthikes or climbing rooftops of theater buildings. I love the random stuff in life! It makes me very happy to share these experiences with others who are either a) like-minded or b) different. Both make up for a great time and create good memories. I love this planet and all life that's on it, which is why I made the decision to be vegan. Meaning I do not eat any animal products ever. It is something I am passionate about, but I don't bring it up in conversation unless you ask about it. :)

I have traveled quite a bit in the past pre-covid, and looking forward to do this much more
once the corona pandemic has past. My goal is to live a nomadic lifestyle. In line with this, I am currently working on a sustainable travel blog. Come check it out over at www.livingintrepid.com.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love travelling, meeting new people and getting to learn about their lives. For me, it's the conversations I have and the experiences I share with others while travelling that I remember the most vividly.
My goal is to understand the world better and that can only truly be done by going places and sharing experiences with locals.

Interests

Enjoy life, have fun, go on silly adventures: always in the pursuit of happiness and discovery of new things

• animals
• photography
• music festivals
• vegan
• reading
• music
• country music
• reggae music
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• philosophy
• psychology
• adventure travel
• food
• nature
• life
• people
• stargazing
• biking
• roadtrips

Music, Movies, and Books

A lot. Too much to name. I also never remember titles (or lyrics or names).
Music wise, I love basically every music style: Indie, pop, reggae, jazz, EDM, country etc.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

* Solo backpacking through Brazil for 50 days - coincidentally met my boyfriend on this trip
* Having friends from all continents in the world
* Camped in the Moroccan dessert
* Study abroad in the United States (Seattle) - 2018
* Traveled around the west coast USA with new found friends for a month (WA - OR - CA - NV - AZ - UT - NV - WA)
* Took a roadtrip with a stranger (now friend) through multiple National Parks in the USA
* With the same couchsurfer I climbed Angel's Landing, covered in snow/ice, wearing only sneakers and no gear despite all warnings from other climbers with gear that decided not to do it themselves
* Nighthiking, cause most adventures end up being better when it's dark :))
* Spontaneously climbing the rooftop of the 5th avenue theater in Seattle in the middle of the night.
* Afterwards 'accidentally' entering through an unofficial entrance below the streets and somehow finding yourself walking throughout a deserted theater building, and then finding a hallway full of Seattle's history. At the end of that hallway were many more deserted hallways connected to a ton of different office buildings surrounding the theater. Still don't understand how we were able to enter all these buildings, but they were some of the fanciest buildings I've ever seen (fun fact, this all happened during a date. Also had to call an ambulance that night for someone who overdosed but that's a less happy story)
* Trek Vale do Pati (Chapada Diamantina, Brazil)
* Sneaked into a hostel late at night with a friend (not what I normally do, but it was that or sleep in the streets of Rio de Janeiro in the early morning hours)
* Sziget festival Boedapest x2
* Sneak into Soenda festival by climbing the fence
* First time ever behind the wheel of a car was when stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere
* Lived in Prague for two months

Teach, Learn, Share

Genuinely appreciate life: that of others and your own.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Fun conversations and I could cook (delicious vegan) food for you if you wish! I love sharing meals with people. Can also teach you some Dutch :')

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Czech Republic, Netherlands, United States