Hey, I'm Lia :)

I am 22 and I'm currently doing a semester abroad in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. I can host once I'm back in Sweden where I moved to study environmental science. I've traveled around quite a lot and had some great experiences using couchsurfing. Now I'd like to give something back to this great community.

I'm passionate about the environment and all things nature-related. I love hiking up mountains (although we don't even have tiny hills in northern Germany), cycling around the countryside, camping, swimming in some lake or ocean and gardening (although I am terrible at it I do enjoy it and find it relaxing).

I like being active and I enjoy playing volleyball, football, badminton or just going for a run.

Other than that I love making music (I play the piano, some guitar, and sing) - preferably with others, but if no one's there I will probably just start singing in a grocery store cause I feel like it.

I also really like listening to music and discovering new songs. I don't really enjoy most of the modern main stream music, but I love 70s/80s songs, rock or musicals. Sometimes I listen to some classical music as well though I much prefer singing it.

I did ballroom dancing for several years and loved it. I'm also the person who doesn't drink at parties but still dances all the time :)

Books are a big passion of mine. I love to read and basically always have a book with me. I'm not quite sure how to define my taste in books, but I do hate most romance novels and thrillers scare me too much😂. I like good novels or interesting non-fiction about environmental issues or society/psychology.

I love meeting new people! Exchanging cultures and convincing others of the fact that German bread is the best (don't try to fight me on this) is fun :). I'm always open for a discussion about basically anything and to learn new things.

The best things happen if you didn't plan them. I like "surviving" without my phone and just going with the flow, rather than meticulously planning everything.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Some years ago, I did an Interrail solo trip through France, Italy and Slovenia and made some really nice contacts through BeWelcome (similar to CS) . During my time in SEA and New Zealand I used couchsurfing for the first time and loved it. Travelling for me always involves immersing oneself into local culture and I cannot wait to learn about the way of life in this part of the world.

Even after this trip, I just love the idea of couchsurfing. When I stay in a hostel while travelling, I always feel so much like a tourist and not like a traveler who really gets to know the place.

Now that I've finished this trip, I would love to start being a host as well and get to know more people from all over the world.

Interests

• books
• singing
• photography
• music
• hiking
• nature
• sport
• gym
• queer

Music, Movies, and Books

I read too much and to pick a favourite book is an impossible task. However, I just finished "A little Life" and thought it was outstanding. Recent books I also really enjoyed include "To kill a Mockingbird", "The perks of being a wallflower" and "A Life on our Planet".

I loove Billy Joel, Queen, Simon and Garfunkel, Parcels... In addition, I like classical music, some other good 70/80s and maybe two songs that could be considered rap. Anyway, I'm always up to discover some new good music :)

I'm not the biggest fan of watching TV, but I like some shows and movies like "Fleabag", "Friends", or the dead poet's society and some other classics.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I spent one year in Canada in 2019/2020 as an exchange student. This summer I did a solo Interrail tour through France, Italy and Slovenia which was pretty fantastic :). Flying to Asia on my own was also great and hiking in New Zealand is something I could do every day because that country is so incredibly beautiful. Also, moving to Sweden to study was a pretty cool thing to do.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would be able to teach you some German, English, or French, if you want. I can also play the piano and the guitar if that is of any interest :) Oh, and you want to learn how to waltz I can also help🙃.

I'm currently learning Swedish, so I can teach you some very basics, or you teach me how to speak properly :P

What I Can Share with Hosts

Good books and music, some German recipes and culture and my experience travelling to some countries. Definitely some funny stories :).

I would love to try to cook some German food for you (although I'm vegetarian and most of the traditional German dishes involve meat which is a bit unfortunate).

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Germany, Norway, Sweden