NOTE1: I'm now back in France and living in Paris with my girlfriend (https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/laure-schneimau) and another flatmate. We love hosting guests but we are generally quite busy, so we can't assure you anything; feel free to contact me and I'll answer very quickly.
NOTE2: please don't make a request more than one week in advance, as we have no idea what our schedule will be like that far in time. ;)

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I live outdoors as much as I can. That's how I survive. A view, a sleeping bag, sand and sometimes cowshit for a nice pillow. My field-based PhD couldn't have been a better opportunity on that aspect. I study long-tongued pollinators and their flowers in Namaqualand (a famous desert of South-Africa). It's been my passion since I am 13 years old when I started growing succulents. Since then I've spent over a year exploring the desertic areas of Southern Africa.

I'm always on the look-out for the small wonders of nature.

Aside from botany I run, as much as I can, usually on hills and moutains. Last year I started running ultra-trails and this year I'm training again for it!

I'm also very fond of cooking and like to throw myself challenges. Not using already-made recipes is the best way to learn despite the higher risk of failure. In the past few years I've mostly been challenging myself by trying to include unusual ingredients in sweet deserts!

I tend to be excessive about all these things, but as long as I can balance everything out I'm happy.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To meet new people and share energies, ideas and obsessions.

This year (spring 2017), in just 5 months, I hosted over 70 couchsurfers from 28 different nationalities. It was most amazing to meet you all! I'll start again early 2018.

These are some of the (now 28) countries of origin of the people we have hosted in the past five months! :-D

Canada (Quebec)
USA
Mexico
Colombia
Chile
Argentina
UK
France
Spain
Germany
Greece
Portugal
Italy
Macedonia
Danemark
Austria
Poland
Norway
Russia
Australia
South-Africa
South Korea
(Iceland)
(to be finished)

Interests

A passion for bicycle riding and nature as brought me to the most picturesque corners of France and south-western USA, enabling me to meet extraordinary people and to enjoy a simple life. I also enjoy hiking and cherish the sensation of feeling self-sufficient by carrying all I need in my backpack, be it for one day or two weeks.

• dining
• wine
• cheese
• running
• walking
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• backpacking
• trail running
• biology
• botany
• bread baking
• hoummous

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Pink Floyd
Books: I read too much science for my liking.....
Films: and I don't go to the movies nearly enough....

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I bicycled over 30'000km from Alaska to Chile and through corners of western Europe.
Walked mountains for 14 days in complete isolation - self sufficiency.
Tramped my way through the deserts of Namaqualand (South Africa) for 9 months.
I survived a walk through the alpine plateaus of Montenegro, where every single farmer stops you for a few Rakia shots (or beer). The most intense day included 16 shots and 1.5L of beer.

A few stupid things? (that I can remember...)
I got sick in one of the last primary forests of Europe after eating some 5 days-old meat that had matured nicely in a constant 35Celcius heat.
Was missed by lightning by less than 30m on a 4000m plateau in Bolivia.
Camped near a river full of spawning salmon in Canada and got the visit of a brown bear at 3am!
Cycled 10 days in winter through snow in the mountains of the Black Forest (Germany), of eastern France and Switzerland - needless to say that my toes have never been this frozen!
I ran a 58km race in mountains (3000m den+) after clicking the wrong button on the suscription website while meaning to suscribe to a 21km race! Loved it in the end...

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good vibes !

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, South Africa