CURRENT MISSION

Just see wherever life takes me to.

ABOUT ME

I grew up believing that I was the heroine of an adventure story. Years later, nothing has ever happened to disprove that theory. My life follows story narratives, adventure always finds me even if I'm just trying to sit on the couch and do nothing. I love it and wouldn't want to have it any other way. I am an addict to those perfect moments that you get when you made the "right" decision. That feeling of being absolutely alive and dazzled by the miracles that life just throws at you - the amazing kindness and hospitality of strangers, the beautiful and awe-inspiring places you are taken to, and the absurd and bizzare stories and coincidences that happen.

I love travelling, obviously, but I also love remaining in a place (there's a beautiful old-fashioned German word that encapsulates the feeling, "verweilen". It means both to linger or stay somewhere for a while, and, taken literally, "becausing" Because why not stay sometimes?). I have accepted that I somehow always end up returning to Berlin, even without intending to do so. I guess it has something to do with the wonderful people that live there, who are my family (blood-related and otherwise). But I always leave, too. There is a world out there, and how could I sit still when there's so many things I haven't seen, so many places I haven't explored, and so many experiences I haven't had?

PHILOSOPHY

I try to learn from every single person I meet. Even jerks have a story. If you approach people with this thought in mind, you'll be amazed how much they have to tell you.
I also try not to panic (Thank you, Mister Adams) Most situations can be solved with a lot of patience and friendliness, and even those that can't do improve if you stay calm. It amazing how people react if you help them without being asked. People are so much more friendly if you jump up and clean the dishes with them!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

As a tradition, I like to teach my couchsurfers and hosts how to toothbrush-dance. It is a very important skill to have in life, and also, it looks very good.

Interests

I sing, I play ukulele, I hitchhike, I read, i write, I cook, I love to sleep, I am a vegetarian, I can feel spiciness in my ears. I love hanging out with kids and making them smile. I love sailing and being on boats, even though I'm not that good at it. I love stories.

• singing
• folklore
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• vegetarian
• boating
• traveling
• hiking
• sailing
• hitchhiking
• beaches
• ukulele

Music, Movies, and Books

Some books that changed my life: Scarlett Thomas - The End of Mr. Y & PopCo; Paul Broks - Into the Silent Land; Tom Robbins - Still Life With Woodpecker, Skinny Legs and All; Astrid Lingren - Die Brüder Löwenherz & Mio mein Mio; Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5, God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian; Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray; Neil Gaiman - Anansi Boys, Smoke and Mirrors & Fragile Things; Douglas Adams - The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Hans Benmann - Stein und Flöte; Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451; Raymond Chandler - The Lady in the Lake

I also really love webcomics (which you can read online for free!). I originally got into them because I needed a soundless way to procrastinate at the library (no, headphones weren't an option) and really learned to appreciate them. My favourites are: Namesake, an incredible story about magic and travelling between worlds, Girls with Slingshots an extremely funny, intelligent slice-of-life kind of comic, and Go Get a Roomie! a sweet story about love and "couchsurfing" in an, um, different way. Check all of them out if you are looking for new ways to procrastinate!

Music: Laura Marling, Imogen Heap, The National, Frightened Rabbit, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, The Postal Service, Regina Spektor, Voxtrot, Death Cab for Cutie, The Weepies, Phoenix, Bloc Party, Counting Crows, Arcade Fire, Ingrid Michaelson, The Shins, Say Anything, Yoko Kanno, Joe Hisaihi

Movies: I get more obsessed with TV-Series than movies (I think I just got used to that pace of storytelling, movies seem too rushed to me); namely: Adventure Time (love it to an insane amount), Sherlock (the BBC version, duh) Doctor Who, Community, Arrested Development, Girls, Breaking Bad, Misfits (first two seasons)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I hitchhiked a boat from Jersey (UK) to the Canary Islands and became a pirate cook.
Then I worked on another boat, where I attempted to start a mutiny against the oppressive captain and was marooned on an island.
I lived in a Buddhist temple, in a Mayan village, on a beach and in an Akkha hill tribe village in Northern Thailand. I never learned so much about what is important in life and what's not, about community, family and total social acceptance of difference. The Akkha people rock! I will never, never forget it as long as I live. Also, showering with a bucket of ice-cold water in the middle of the afternoon (it's too cold at night or in the mornings), sleeping on a blanket on the floor or getting blisters from the everyday field work they do was a lesson in itself.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you ukulele (I learened my first song from a couchsurfer, so it's only natural to pass it on.) I can also teach you to cook, something I am very passionate about.

I want to learn about anything that makes you happy or fascinates you.

I will share any food, happiness or stories that I have with you.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam, Western Sahara

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom

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