Hey I'm Issy, and I'm on a journey to find out About Me :) So far I've learnt that I need-want to be creative, and to walk amongst the trees. I feel alive when I'm swimming in the sea riding the waves (and in life!), singing to the piano when I'm home alone, and cycling back from a night out dancing with friends - listening to the silence of the streets, only the birds singing.

I'm told I have a calm energy...seems fitting with my earlyish-slow mornings and excessive tea drinking.
I love handwritten letters to and from dear ones, and admiring moss...

Update, I used to*: live in a community just outside of Rotterdam, consisting of 2 streets in Vlaardingen. If you want to know more: https://www.stadindemaak.nl/

You will find me mostly in the kitchen: inventing DIY skincare products, kimchi, sauerkraut, cooking plantbased etc...
Exploring my edges
Often volunteering for organisations that prevent food waste and host community dinners.
and keeping lots of lists like daily diary of knowledge, a living life well list for well dones, gratitude moments and stepping into the fear.

if i dont respond to messages here, my instagram is @issybaylis

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To learn from others, to meet new people from different cultures, their different ways of life - I love to discover and take inspiration from the variety of people's every day routines and motivations. I'd rather step into peoples worlds outside of my bubble, than see main tourist attractions.

I love to introduce people to an alternative way of living, the community that I live in @vlaardingencommons. We have a few shared houses, where we have communal wednesday dinners, a swapshop, shared washing machines, gardens, exhibitions, sometimes big community days with games food workshops and performances

Interests

• music festivals
• yoga
• meditation
• bouldering
• dance
• community living
• contact improvisation
• vegan cooking
• climbing trees
• independent cinema
• qi gong
• foraging
• tcm
• human design
• wild swimming
• circling
• conceptual art
• climate activism

Music, Movies, and Books

Maybe a typical cop-out answer, but most genres I like. eg music from across the world, jazz, Hania Rania piano, dub/step, Deep Medi music, electronic genres but not really techno... A playlist of some of my favourites https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5XT1h4GS019IiOOsIaP9ur?si=e4e2505851cb44dd though usually I listen to the 'comedown quiet mood' playlist

Victoria (filmed in a single take) and Climax are good but really intense films. Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Books: All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the climate crisis, Braiding Sweetgrass
From What Is to What If: unleashing the power of imagination to create the future we want

Teach, Learn, Share

Vegan food, photography, how to mend your own clothes - darning
I'd love to play a connection card game with you

What I Can Share with Hosts

Let's cook our favourite dishes together! Happy to show you around or go out together if you like

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, United States, Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Netherlands, Singapore, Wales