Hey folks! I’m Çağdaş. I enjoy playing musical instruments, socializing, cycling, and lately, photography. I can happily roam the streets for hours—chatting with people, taking photos—until I run out of energy.

I used to work as a software engineer until I got fired in early 2024, which turned out to be a blessing. I’m now traveling with my savings, learning and discovering along the way.

I love being positively uncanny, meeting new people, and trying new things (except ice skating—I’m not ready to break any bones just yet). I’m excited about a world with fewer billionaires and more equality and freedom. I don’t know how we’ll get there yet, but maybe once I figure it out, I’ll go around preaching.

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A Quick Note

I’m not into nudism or naturalism, and I don’t believe in forcing people into anything. I only mention this because of a past experience with someone who made nudity a precondition for hosting, and it wasn’t okay.
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Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I’ve been on Couchsurfing a long time. While it might seem like I’ve surfed more recently, I actually hosted over 40 people before the pandemic and used to have a proud host-to-surf ratio of 6:1. I got really frustrated with the paywall, deleted my account, and rejoined later—so here I am again 😁

I’m here to meet people, exchange stories, help out and be helped. I like borrowing other people’s eyes to see the world differently. I’m not into how hospitality has turned into a business—profit shouldn’t be the reason we welcome others. I believe in sharing freely, connecting as humans, not customers.

Everyone’s welcome. I don’t believe in dividing people by borders, race, nationality, or gender.

Interests

• adventure

Music, Movies, and Books

Off the top of my head: Bob Dylan, Ruhi Su, Orhan Pamuk, Tolstoy, and David Lynch.

I’ve really enjoyed long-running TV dramas like The Sopranos, but for a quick recharge, I often return to a random episode of Fleabag or Nathan for You. (I heard George Bush Sr. used to do the same with Fawlty Towers, so maybe I’m in questionable company.)

I have a soft spot for short stories and can never say no to a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery. I was energized watching the Get Back documentary—what a ride.

During a movie club I was part of for a while, the directors whose work I loved diving into were Agnès Varda, Pedro Almodóvar, and Ingmar Bergman. That said, if I’m rewatching something, it’s probably Tarantino.

Lately, I’ve fallen deep into photography. My taste leans toward the expressive and raw—big fan of W. Eugene Smith (huge inspiration), Daido Moriyama, Vivian Maier, Sebastião Salgado, Jens Assur, and Anders Petersen. Their work fills my head with ideas and makes me want to get out and shoot.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hard to pick just one, but here’s a short list of my questionable decisions with excellent outcomes:

– Started taking photos and somehow landed a group show at the Work Museum later this year in Norrköping. Some of it’s on @cagdas.raw. Ask me about the Pattaya series if you like neon, chaos, or exploitation.
– Bought an oud on impulse. Still don’t know if I play it or if it plays me.
– Biked my first tour through Dalarna and raced the Vätternrundan on the way like a masochist.
– Cycled all the way from Sweden to Turkey. No, not metaphorically. –Slept under more stars than roofs. Also survived a mosquito or two and no bear encounters.
– Left my teeny tiny hometown, then my country. Still working on leaving the planet eventually.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach a bit of Python, or show you a few chords—guitar, oud, take your pick.

Happy to swap skills, stories, or just sit and jam/tinker/chat.

Always curious to learn how other people think, live, and get through the day.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Love, friendship, coffee—and maybe a good story or two.

I travel light but bring good vibes, curiosity, and the willingness to help out however I can. Whether it’s cooking, cleaning, or chatting over late-night tea, I’m all in.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Sweden, Thailand, Turkey