Hi! My name is Matthijs, I’m 23 years old and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in applied physics in the Netherlands. I have a passion for being active and outdoors – I love (trail)running, skiing, and surfing, and I’m interested in just about every outdoor sport. To keep my mind at peace, I have been meditating for the last seven years.

Instead of following the standard path to the corporate world, I’m chasing my dream to become a travelling philosopher. To kick off my philosophy career I’m currently working on a book about indiginious philosophies versus modern philosophies.
Exploring the world is my method to experience philosophies rather than read about them. Through conversation and experiences I try to challenge the worldviews I have been taught. I would love to hear more about your personal philosophy on how you approach life!

Update on my current journey:
- I started in NZ where I met a Māori elder who took me to multiple family gatherings. He was also open to discuss some philosophy with me.
- In Australia I was in close contact with a teacher at the University of Wollongong. Through her I met two Alboriginal elders. Furthermore I was invited to the university and got to discuss Alboriginal culture with a bunch of other teachers and PhD students aswell.

I’m eternally grateful for stumbling upon both people. They were absolutely wonderful.

Now I’m in Japan to meet Ainu people!

Next to researching my book, I have always been fascinated by Japanese culture. I’m trying to learn the language which is going slow, but steady :). So I’m open to learn anything from the locals here!

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

With my travels, I’m on a personal mission to immerse myself in different cultures around the world, to learn from the people I meet and the places I stay. I see this as a way to broaden my perspective, collect unique experiences, and shape my own philosophy. Couchsurfing is the perfect chance to meet locals and dive heads deep in their culture.

兴趣

• writing
• cooking
• reading
• socializing
• piano
• hiking
• surfing
• sailing
• skiing
• philosophy
• physics
• trailrunning

音乐、电影和书籍

I'm a big fan of all three.

I always try to listen to music that matches my mood. This can be all kinds from classical to rock to deep house.

When I still lived with my parents, every Saturday we had movie night. Watching movies is a big social thing for me. My favourite is probably Interstellar.

Reading is one of my biggest passions. I read a lot about all different kind of topics. Mostly philosophy and fantasy. When it comes to philosophy, I'm a big fan of Nietzsche and Dostoevsky. For fantasy, I just started reading the Stormlight Archive of Brandon Sanderson. This is probably the best medieval fantasy series I have ever read. I would recommend this to everyone!

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

I'm proud to share that I completed an Ironman 70.3 this year!

教，学，和分享

Another passion of mine is sharing knowledge. Last year I've been assisting at a primary school and that was a lot of fun. If you have kids I can help them with homework or even teach them some advanced stuff.

Learn:
Like I mentioned I'm on a personal mission to immerse myself in different philosophies all around the world. I'm really interested in the personal philosophies of people and the way they approach life. At the moment I'm researching older philosophies, like Hinduism, mythologies or indigenous philosophies. Just by sharing your story, you're already helping me out :).

Teach:
- I have a degree in applied physics with a minor in philosophy. If you're interested in either I have a lot to share. Maybe you want to know some more about quantum physics.
- I've been lucky to be able to practice a lot of different sports. I can swim, bike, run, ski, sail and play soccer pretty decent. I can share my expertise on these.
- I have a decent amount of experience with meditation techniques. I could help you out if you're just trying to get started with meditating.
- I was part of a startup that helped companies integrate AI tools in their work. If you want to know anything about AI, I am your guy ;)
- I have played classical piano for a few years. I could teach you the basics.

Share:
- I love doing activities together. We could exercise, meditate or cook together (and everything in between).

我可以与沙发主分享些什么

Previously, I already mentioned some knowledge and expertise I can share.

Furthermore, we could share some experiences. Going on our own mini-adventure.

Lastly, I'd love to help you in any way I can. If you need any help around the house, like cooking, cleaning or a DIY project. Or if you'd like me to be a consultant for the day, that could be a lot of fun. I could give you some advice how to integrate AI in your daily work.

我游览过的国家

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

我居住过的国家

Netherlands