CURRENT MISSION

More learning, more experiences, I am a sponge (except with a central nervous system).

ABOUT ME

Most of my CS experience has been based in Sofia, Bulgaria, the best CS community. I've hosted over 100 guests and have been a guest in more than 40 cities. I've since moved to Rochester, NY (2012) to complete a PhD in neuroscience and have taken a break from hosting (also, no one really comes to Rochester).

Let's talk about it in person! I feel like I've already lived a dozen lives. I am learning to take the best from all of them.

CS is a huge part of my life, hosting more than 100 members in Sofia and surfing quite a lot, too.

I'm a researcher and focus on neuro-physiology in the frame of perception and cognition. I'm a thinker but at the same time believe that actions are more important than thoughts so I admire what people *do*, not what they think. Woolgathering is a rarity for me.

Some of my older work
Cognitive Science

I like traveling around Bulgaria and taking photographs.
Here is a map of the towns and villages I've shot.

Since 2012 I've taken a break from CS and in that time, it has changed a lot. But it was a very big part of my days and has left uncountable memories.

PHILOSOPHY

Know where your target is.
Then aim unflinchingly.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm not as active as I used to be, primarily because I am dedicated to my studies. I do, however, still enjoy hosting and surfing. I planned a lot of events in Europe when I lived there.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Hosted ( I stopped keeping track )

Maegen
Arndis
Dimitris & Stefanos
Ofer
Alper
Konstantinos
Danny
Ivan
Rachael & Elliott
Bogna
Mary Clare
Chantal & Simon
Spyro
Jamie
Allison & Becca
Katie & Shira
Mary
Brianna
Stella
David
Reinhard +2
Sana & Raluca
Anna & Stirling
Alex
Alejandro & Matias
Kristen
Devon
Hüma
Remco
Liesbeth
Olivia
Roseanne
Farid
Sanna
Jordan
Giuliano
Amber
Masha & Michael
Timo
Edwin
Mani
Eric
Leen & Koen
Vera
Tyler (and later, Stella) & Justin
Charmaine
Gaïd
Marisol & Amy
Isa
James, Esther & Mildred
Sabine
Florian
Bia & Maira
Kami
Camille & Nolwenn
Linda
Tina
Kostantin
Ying & Nick
Laura
Daniel
Andrew
Dominic
Viktorija
Bas
Turhan
Autumn & Ben
Hilde
Christiano
Eilen & Matias
Laura
Rebecca & Yovanna
Georges-Michel & Friend
Tim
Jennifer
Adéla #100
Gosia & Michiel
Joanna & Sywia
Martina
Kim
Zuli
Tivi
Anthony
Edita
Manuel
Maria & Michał
Irina & Sana

Surfed ( I stopped keeping track )

Sharon Huntington Beach, California
Brent Huntington Beach, California
Jeff San Clemente, California
Mariana Newport Beach, California
Ivan Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Vania Haskovo, Bulgaria
Stella Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Catherine Belgrade, Serbia
Lela & Helena Belgrade, Serbia
Sana & Raluca Bucharest, Romania
Dimitris Thessaloniki, Greece
Nevena Haskovo, Bulgaria
Tye Burgas, Bulgaria
Brianna Istanbul, Turkey
Doro Brussels, Belgium
Hester Amsterdam, Netherlands
Marco Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rob Best, Netherlands
Liesbeth Antwerpen, Belgium
Hogar Belgrade, Serbia
Stefan & Dessi Varna, Bulgaria
Kostantin Varna, Bulgaria
Linda Haarlem, Netherlands
Vanessa Athens, Greece
Shora Eindhoven, Netherlands
Georgi Devin, Bulgaria
Julia Novosibirsk, Russia
Dobrina Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Tyler & Stella Burgas, Bulgaria
Cielka Eindhoven, Netherlands
Aneta Thessaloniki, Greece
Vasilis Thessaloniki, Greece
Wadim and Mariola Krakow, Poland
Bogna Warsaw, Poland
Marina Kiev, Ukraine
Isidora Belgrade, Serbia

Interests

Being a grad student takes away all free time. These are not my interests. Rather, they are what I miss doing.
Camping, being in unfamiliar cities, playing and writing music, attending CS events (especially in the Balkans!).

"That's what she said" jokes. Write one into your couch request and you get quadruple bonus points.

• writing
• cheese
• partying
• drinking
• gardening
• traveling
• music
• camping
• surfing
• soccer
• track and field
• neuroscience
• science
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

Most read and re-read books:
Well, actually I mostly read journal articles. But this is a secret. Currently reading a book on Neurology and Philosophy and a book about Bulgarian History. Also, I've read and enjoyed most of Khalil Gibran's works.

Most watched movies:
I don't watch many movies. But I'd like to. :)

Music:
Hmmm... I'm a big collector of music...
Tough to choose. I don't like music that is not made my musical instruments and musicians who play them. Bring me some music from your country!!

For Couch Request bonus points, write the next line to any of these songs...

1) "She looks like the real thing, she tastes like the real thing..."
2) "Y una tarde de abril, la intentaron trasladar al manicomio...
3) "so if you would just cast off your doubt, then your lips would answer for you...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

To change everything every 2-5 years.

Teach, Learn, Share

If an Atom were enlarged to the size of a football stadium the nucleus would only be the size of a pea while the first electron cloud would circle the stadium. This means that more than 99% of an atom is empty space. It's nothing. Everything is made up of atoms. So everything is more than 99% nothing. Everything is mostly nothing (or at least non-physical). So what's the big deal in allowing yourself to talk about "mind" being a non-physical part of the brain? Are not the holes in swiss cheese separate but connected to the cheese itself? This is something I change my opinion on regularly.

What I Can Share with Hosts

9+ years of CS experience (joined in 2007).
I can tell you stories about:
--- a host who put a web cam in the shower.
---the host who nonchalantly opened the shower door and stepped in.
---the host who told me his marijuana garden was to "keep away the bugs"
---my first host who was a 68 year old woman who could out drink me.
---the 4-day host who I only saw once for a few minutes.
---the guest who forgot to get dressed in the morning.
---the 78 year old guest who participated in a CS pajama party
---guest who requests a weekend and left 6 weeks later.
(I could go on and on with this but you got the idea...)

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bulgaria, United States

• 

•