Not Accepting Guests
- 100% response rate
- Last login 1 day ago
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Overview
About Me
*please read fully my profile. I won’t accept to host or to be hosted by men without references*
Hi there! I'm Mélina, French speaking Canadian who has been living abroad for a while.
I did quite a few travels in both rural and urban areas, had such a blast meeting different people, cultures and ways in all of my travel experiences that I just can't get enough!
I am currently based in Finland (Jyväskylä) where I complete my master's degree in international development and cooperation. I am particularly interested in issues related to migration and gender equality, but I enjoy any great conversations and shared experiences!
I am a big big coffee lover, although I sometimes also drink tea or wine, read a bunch, write and paint. I also love everything related to outdoors - hiking and mountain skiing are my all time favourite. I love to walk, chat and explore.
Oh and I also work as a freelance journalist, so sometimes I am pretty good at asking 10000000 questions. :)
Why I’m on Couchsurfing
I love meeting new people, sharing cultures, ideas and food.
In fact, I couch surf for people. That's what travelling is all about for me.
Having said that, I also think that money is a strange concept, and although I understand that we live in a capitalist society - for now - I think we should be able to meet amazing people without having to spend so much on accommodation. For me, offering free accommodation is the first step in making the world a little more accessible, opening the borders in our own small way.
If you come to Jyväskylä, please be my guest!
Interests
Big time travels lover, but also concerned about justice and climate issues.
I think a vision of travel that speaks to me is one that is concerned with global inequalities, aware of the privilege of travel. I am caught in the eternal internal debate of not wanting to fly to avoid having too many carbon emissions, but also, the desire to explore the world and open my horizons.
- writing
- theater
- piano
- art history
- visual arts
- travelling
- jazz music
Music, Movies, and Books
Ugh, I hate this question - it's like asking me to pick my favorite child (if I had any, that is). But, if I had to narrow it down, there are a few authors and genres that I absolutely love. I'm a huge fan of Gabriel Garcia Marquez - the man is a genius. I also dig political philosophy, and Gramsci is my main man. When it comes to poetry, I'm all about the poets from Québec - Joséphine Bacon is a queen! And, if I'm feeling extra nerdy, I'll crack open some classic literature from dead Russian authors like Dostoevsky. What about you? Any books that make your heart skip a beat?"
(I also have no cinematic culture. Please educate me lol).
Teach, Learn, Share
I wasn't sure which section of my profile to put this in, but:
As a (well-travelled) traveller, I have met many other amazing travellers. But, I have also met people (unfortunately, mostly men) who did not understand the boundaries of some people (often women).
As a woman traveller, I make sure to always set my boundaries and be safe. So here are the limits I set on couch surfing: if you are a man and you have no references, I will automatically refuse your request for accommodation/your offer to host me. I'm sorry if this is a form of discrimination, but it's mainly a way to protect myself. I will also not accept to sleep in the same bed as a couch surfer host, without exception.
If I don't feel comfortable in your home, I will make it very clear and leave. There's no need to make any advances or try anything: if I'm interested in you, I'll also make that clear. This is an app for traveling, not for dating (at least for me!). The line is very clear to me, I hope for you too.
Stay safe everyone, and big love for all these amazing men who never need these advices to act as true allies.
Countries I’ve Visited
Australia, Belgium, Benin, Canada, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State
Countries I’ve Lived In
Australia, Canada, Finland, Spain