Verified
Sofia, Sofia-Capital, Bulgaria
@heidi-nicklaus
Member since 2023
🌍 ABOUT ME Hey hey! I’m Heidi, a travel-obsessed ✈️ fitness coach 💪 turned "active travel" content creator I'm from the USA, but currently based in Sofia, Bulgaria 🇧🇬 (well... when I’m not off adventuring!). I’m the voice behind several audio walking tours on the VoiceMap app 🎙️—so you can literally take me along in your ears as you explore places like: ✅ Sofia, Bulgaria – Hidden ruins, street art & local culture ✅ Antalya, Turkiye – History, fortresses, and secret spots ✅ Chicago, USA - Vibe with street art and Mexican cuisine in the Pilsen neighborhood ✅Sarajevo, Bosnia - Ottoman bazaars, war-torn streets, and stories of resilience ✅Ohrid, Macedonia - Dazzling lakeside views, Byzantine churches, and the famous fortress 👉👉👉More Balkan tours coming soon... 🎧 Wanna hear one? You can open a tour page and click "preview" to listen to some tracks: 👉https://voicemap.me/publisher/heidi-nicklaus ---------------------------------------- 🏃♀️ WHAT I'M DOING IN LIFE Working on my visa to live full-time in Sofia, Bulgaria. It's truly my new home and I'm so excited for when I get to finally live there year-round! "But Heidi, what do you 'do?'" I've most recently responded to that common question with: "....whatever I want!" haha Truly, though, I’m working on my Heidi Runs Abroad LLC business... I'm building my active travel/travel fitness brand with my blog and newsletter. Everything from: 🌋 sunrise volcano hikes 🌌 marathons under the midnight sun ✈️ how to stay healthy on the road CHECK IT OUT HERE: 📝 Blog: https://heidirunsabroad.com/ 📬 Newsletter inspiration on healthy, budget travel every other week: 🎙️ Audio walking tours: https://heidirunsabroad.com/audio-walking-tours/ Subscribe to my newsletter 👉https://heidirunsabroad.com/newsletter/ And of course…creating walking tours, climbing mountains, and fueling my addiction to group fitness. ---------------------------------------- 💼 PREVIOUSLY.... Before this newest era of life... I spent 10 years working in Residence Life at Rutgers University in New Jersey 🏫—mentoring RAs, running leadership programs, and loving campus life. When a departmental restructure hit, I took the leap 🌈 and went on a 4.5-month solo trip that turned into...well...a lifestyle 😅 ---------------------------------------- 🌍 TRAVEL STYLE ✨ Started with EF Ultimate Break group tours in 2016 ✨ Evolved to full-blown DIY international travel ✨ Now a huge fan of solo adventures with hiking boots & a podcast in one ear Favorite hikes: 🥾 Peaks of the Balkans – solo, 6 days across Albania/Kosovo/Montenegro 🪨 Koncheto Ridge, Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria – epic & slightly terrifying 🌄 Highline Trail, Glacier NP, USA – views for daysss ---------------------------------------- 🧘♀️ FITNESS AS MY LOVE LANGUAGE I teach 4 kinds of Les Mills fitness classes: 💥 BodyCombat (MMA-style cardio) 🏋️♀️ BodyPump (barbell strength) 🧘♀️ BodyBalance (yoga/Pilates fusion) 🧿 Core (functional core strength) I also traveled to Bali in January 2025 to complete my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training. If you’re a fellow instructor or gym junkie—we’ve got to chat. ---------------------------------------- 🌟HOSTING/SURFING I've been surfing for 2.5 years since I quit my job and I love it! 🌱 Currently not hosting full-time (visa process + travels), but I’m open to meetups, coffee walks, or gym sessions if we cross paths. ---------------------------------------- 🎒 RANDOM FACTS 😻 I am obsessed with CATS. I will basically try and approach and pet every street cat I see. I once had a cat in Istanbul sleeping on my lap for about 2 hours... ☕ I used to hate coffee in college and now I WILL ask a random barista at a favorite coffee shop where they get their espresso beans (Europe = espresso ❤) 🍫 I have such a big sweet tooth. I love desserts... 📚 I love all topics: psychology, anthropology, travel, sustainability, and wellness 🪴I'm not vegetarian, but often get asked if I am. I just really love vegetables and tofu (and other plant based proteins) 🤣 I apparently have good posture and based on my build (broad shoulders and muscles from weightlifting), people commonly ask me if I was in the military hahaha (nope!)
Interested in Action
Interested in Animal welfare
Fluent in English
Learning Bulgarian
Why I'm on Couchsurfing
I sometimes travel solo and am interested in connecting with folks from the area. I'm pretty low maintenance so I don't mind crashing on a couch! So far the hosts I've met on CS have been absolutely wonderful! On my 4.5 month solo trip, the CS connections I made were my favorite part of my trip.
Music, Movies, and Books
Favorite music: Taylor Swift Movies: Thor Ragnarok, She's the Man, Man Up Books: Harry Potter (though now, sadly, I do not support JK Rowling's anti-trans alignment)
One Amazing Thing I've Done
I ran the Midnight Sun Marathon in Norway - it happens at night with 24/7 daylight! If I was going to train my butt off for it, I wanted to go someplace new, someplace cool, and have a very unique experience. This fit the bill and was totally worth it!
Teach, Learn, Share
I've been a group fitness instructor for 9+ years. If you're familiar with the company, I teach 4 different Les Mills classes. Essentially I teach classes choreographed to music (yoga, mixed martial arts, weight lifting, and a core class). I would love to share that with others!
What I Can Share With Hosts
During my stay, I'd be more than happy to teach a personal class to you so you can experience it as well! I exercise daily (whether it be one of these classes, heavy weight lifting, running, walking, stretching, or hiking). I find that this is a great way to connect with others as well :) I also enjoy talking about American culture, psychology and adult development, and all things travel (and much more). I would love to share with you, ask questions, and answer any questions you might have for me (I'll pretty much talk about anything). Also, if you have a cat....I will share my severe affection for them.
