Hi all! I am Matthijs, a 22 year old student. I am working towards a PhD in economics, but in case you think I am one of the many econ students that wants to make a lot money: that's not the case; I'd like to work in academia or an NGO, preferably in urban/development economics (cause we all want to end poverty, right? :) ).

Since studying can be rewarding, but also gets boring after some time (not the kind of guy that can focus 24/7 ...) I like to have a social life (I am active in a student association), do some sports and of course I love to travel! I love some serious party from time to time, but it's even better to relax with friends (and some drinks) and have a good time together. And, if your into to sports; I am an avid road cyclist and of course you can also talk with me about soccer :)

I originally come from the middle of The Netherlands (although some would say it's the north already) and I do now live for about 4,5 years in Maastricht (excluding 6 months in Singapore). If you're not yet convinced of the beauty of my city; one of the main reasons I came to Maastricht is because I love the city and its surroundings.

I have traveled around South-East-Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle-East and I have seen most of Europe but there's still a lot of stuff on my bucketlist :) I really started to love travelling in 2011 when I did my first backpacker trip through Eastern Europe and The Balkans but I didn't really take off until two years ago.

A bit more about me in the standard vague terms: Easy-going, open-minded, likes to do random things, enthusiast and active, tolerant but also sometimes a bit stubborn.

Perché sono iscritto su Couchsurfing

Host, surf and have fun!

Interessi

Travelling
Cycling
Soccer
Music (classical, but also pop/rock/dance)
Socializing
Debating

• culture
• beauty
• dancing
• partying
• drinking
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• piano
• cycling
• backpacking
• sports
• soccer
• economics
• history
• languages
• tourism

Musica, film e libri

I have seen the Shawshank Redemption at least 4 times but I also love war-related movies like Schindlers List, The Pianist or das Leben der Anderen. I can also enjoy good comedy from time to time.

I listen to a wide variety of music, mostly classical while studying (I've played classical piano for quite some time) but I get more in the mood for classic rock/pop from U2, Dire Straits, Simon & Garfunkel once I am doing the dishes. In the evening dance & top 40 music are on my list as well.

Una cosa incredibile che ho fatto

It's hard to list just one but I loved trekking in Myanmar in an area completely unspoiled by tourism (partially due to the civil war). It was surrealistic to stroll through mountain villages whose inhabitants hadn't seen foreigners in months/years while at the same having a guerrila army marching next to you. Inspring people, inspiring stories (even without speaking each other's language)!

Insegna, impara, condividi

In every country I visit I like to learn a bit of the local language. So in case you host me, feel free to learn me some :) Learning languages has always has been a lot of fun. I remember being in Indonesia and staying for almost two weeks in the home of an Indonesian grandma (Ibu) who didn't speak English at all. So imagine a 70yo Indoensia grandma sitting on the couch with a huge English - Indonesian dictionary of at least 40-50 years old and me trying to learn Indonesian from my own guidebook :) A lot of fun .... And, after two weeks I managed to speak basic Indonesian (and she learnt some English) so we were able to understand each other :)

So, I can at least try to teach you Dutch and English and possibly a bit of French and German if you like. Next to that I can tell you a lot about my home country and its history, previous travel experiences and if you're interested I can tell you a shitload of economics since I am an econ grad student.

Lastly, if you got a piano I can try to teach you, since I have been a classical pianist for quite some years (Unfortunately no time to practice anymore ...)

Cosa posso offrire ai padroni di casa

A lot of fun, good times and good talks!

I like to have some time together to share some good stories and to get to know the local culture. I am open for a lot of experiences, so hosts can feel free to bring me to their own friends, go out together or just show me around in the city. In case you can't find the time to do so it's not too much of a problem because I can keep myself entertained.

Paesi che ho visitato

Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam

Paesi in cui ho vissuto

France, Netherlands, Singapore