The summer of 2017 brought a lot of change: After seven years of working as a dramaturge in opera and dance, I decided to quit my job and go on a journey that would add new questions and maybe a few more answers to my life. I started off with an artist residency at the Alice Boner Institute in Varanasi, India, where i designed an audio walk on the topic of what the concept of home means to us (for more information on my artistic CV, please visit my homepage: www.iragoldbecher.com). After spending four months in India, I traveled South America for 6 months. Currently I am back working as a dramaturge.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Staying in hostels is fun. Getting to know a culture on the other hand is more profound when you talk to locals and get a glimpse of the life they are living. I am greatful to be invited into people´s homes and I appreciate the openness and trust that is being awarded to me. I feel more connected to the place I want to explore and I know that the personal exchange we are experiencing through couchsurfing is symbolic for a broader cultural and cross national exchange.

Interests

• literature
• performing arts
• festivals
• movies
• music
• violin
• food
• travelling
• dance
• theatre
• techno
• driving
• fine arts
• alternative lifestyles
• orchestra
• 5rhythms

Music, Movies, and Books

Those lists change fast. My current book is usually my favourite (if I enjoy reading it). This would be "God of Small Things" of Indian writer Arundhati Roy. I enjoy the music by Kiasmos at the moment - a Faroese-Icelandic band that explores melodic techno. As for movies: I love going to the cinema ... there have been many great productions that deserve mentioning ... for example Austrian director Julian Pölsler produced a cinematic interpretation of Marlen Haushofer´s novel "Die Wand" which is a must-see.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Amazing things occur everywhere, anytime. We just have to look.

Teach, Learn, Share

Nothing to teach :-) I love to learn and exchange.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am a very energetic and open person who likes to listen, learn and exchange. I love good conversations, getting to know people and how they see the world.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Latvia, Malawi, Morocco, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Germany, India, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States