Hi! I'm Kristina - a PhD candidate in Earth Sciences and a researcher, exploring how Arctic rivers carry water and sediment through their estuaries, and what happens to all of it once it reaches the Ocean. In practice, this means I spend a surprising amount of my life hunting for calm weather so I can plan fieldwork on water, and an even more surprising amount of my life being defeated by that same weather.
I've done expeditions in some of the more remote corners of the Russian Arctic, which is how I once ended up stranded in Tiksi for a week waiting for a plane (10/10 recommend if you enjoy cold wind and unexpected friendships). On the other end of the climate spectrum, I've also crossed the Strait of Gibraltar as a hitchhiker, and I've made it to more than 25 countries since — usually by saying yes first and figuring out the logistics later. However (and honestly) )in the fall and winter, I teach hydrology to first-year students at Moscow State University.
I love long conversations about almost anything: rivers, oceans, books, running, high heels dance, the strange logic of academia, the stranger logic of people. I'm curious, a little nerdy, fairly easy to live with, and I'll happily share stories from the field in exchange for local tips, a walk around your favorite neighborhood, or just a quiet corner to read in.
If you host me, I promise to be a low-maintenance guest, a good listener, and ( if you're lucky) the source of at least one genuinely weird fact about Arctic mud (or, in scientific terms, sediments).

You can contact with me via Telegram @p_kris_n
Inst: @pyatihatkaa

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Honestly, it's one of the best places I know to actually meet people (especially when you're travelling). It's the shortest way to learn something real and true about a place, make real friends, and fall a little bit in love with the world all over again.

Interests

I like to communicate with new people, discover new places, discuss different topics, laugh all day, share information and experiences. In general, I love this world and I want to make it better. And that's all of my interests.

• dancing
• running
• piano
• geography
• science
• mountains
• travel
• backpacker
• hydrology
• expeditions
• hichhiking
• arctic

Music, Movies, and Books

Books are where I figure myself out. Dostoevsky is a strange kind of mirror for me. I reread him every few years and notice how much I've changed by how differently I read him. But my absolute favourite is Gone with the Wind!!! I read it in one breath, and Scarlett is quietly the reason I learned to take responsibility for my own life. Mostly I love Russian and American classics. The ones that are a little too long and absolutely worth it.
For music and films: honestly the best recommendations come from conversations.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Spent weeks doing fieldwork on Arctic rivers, where the mosquitoes are bigger than the problems back home.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'd love to practise my English (the more, the better). In return, I can help you with Russian, talk geography until you regret asking, and happily argue about football (for example).

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good company, long conversations, stories from the field, conferences, internships (and how to write a good article!!) . And (if you're in my city) a walking tour that no guidebook will ever give you.

PS. Honestly, there's too much I want to tell you, which is probably the most accurate thing I can say about myself. I teach, I do science, I dance, I run, I lift weights (obsessively), I travel, I read, I recently and unexpectedly fell in love with cooking and psychology and I organise things for young scientists and trips for with my friends because I have a lot of friends and even more ideas. I think a lot. I analyse everything.

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Russian Federation