Hæ, I am Maren. I'm based both in Reykjavík (Iceland) and Heidelberg (Germany), and I'm a PhD student in Biological Anthropology / Bioarchaeology at the University of Iceland. Life keeps me quite busy as I commute between the two countries for most of the year, so I only consider well-written and thoughtful requests. Currently, I am only hosting in Reykjavík, mostly together with my husband Luca who does not have a profile here, but you can read about him in my references.

I have a very deep fascination with the cold North. Over the past ten years, I’ve travelled quite extensively around the Northern Hemisphere, and every experience has been truly indescribable. I’ve dreamed of traveling and living in the high North since my early childhood, and began exploring the Arctic in 2015 when I took my first trip. Couchsurfing has always been an important constant in my journeys and it’s safe to say that it has become a central part of my identity. Equally important to me are my values: Both my research and my everyday life are influenced by feminism and anti-fascism.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I think Couchsurfing offers a fantastic opportunity to connect with people from completely different backgrounds and perspectives, people you might not have met otherwise. Over the years, I’ve met some of my closest friends through this platform and have been inspired countless times by fellow Couchsurfers who crossed my path.

I’ve been quite active on Couchsurfing for the past ten years – mostly hosting recently – and have met many incredible people along the way. Admittedly, though, I’ve gotten a bit frustrated with this platform lately, especially because it seems almost impossible to find a place to stay as a couple (or even as a married individual). On the last three trips with my husband, all to major European capitals with plenty of hosts, we couldn’t find a single place to stay together, which was quite disheartening and makes me question some hosts’ intentions. I genuinely don’t believe Couchsurfing should be used primarily for hook-up purposes, and seeing the difference between traveling as a single woman and as a married woman or couple has been quite shocking honestly.

Interests

Obviously, I'm very passionate about research and dedicate a big part of my life to it. My research interests are the archaeology of childhood and bioarchaeology, and in my research I'm combining those two fields. Also, I am a mother of a five year old child, who fills my life with love and joy every day.
In my free time, I truly enjoy cooking, baking and eating out, and I'm always up for cooking something together or checking out some restaurants / cafes. I also like being in nature, but I definitely prefer harsh landscapes with little vegetation, and I also love knitting, swimming, and playing board games. (Even proposed to my husband while playing a board game).

• cats
• cooking
• coffee
• board games
• traveling
• knitting
• hiking
• swimming
• science
• hitchhiking
• tea
• aurora borealis
• feminism
• veganism
• peace and love
• marxism
• lgbtq+
• reality tv
• biological anthropology

Music, Movies, and Books

I like reading a lot, and mostly read bone-related stuff.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

All my travels to Northern Europe and the Arctic have been undescribable.
Travelling to Greenland has been my biggest dream since my early childhood, and I fulfilled this dream in 2016.
I am so grateful for all the experiences I made up in the North, finding my inner peace, connecting with nature, feeling the elements of mother earth. I still feel like I haven't processed all my experiences in the North. From witnessing majestic northern lights in -30 degrees, feeling icy cold wind in my face, seeing powerful waterfalls, seeing a volcano just a few hundred meters in front of me...

Also, being a mother is honestly the most incredible thing that happened to me in life. Can't put it in words.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm currently improving my polish. It is actually my native language but it got very rusty as I grew up in Germany mostly speaking German. I'd be very interested in learning further and getting some speaking practice :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Iceland