I guess my goal in life is to live as well as possible and to derive happiness from everything I do. I am a writer and also work as a freelance editor and proofreader. I enjoy wandering, pretty postcards, lingering in bookshops, preparing food, running, comfortable chairs, parks, long journeys, woollen jumpers and mornings.

Other people, cultures and languages interest me greatly. Last year, I travelled solo from Israel up through much of Eastern Europe to Russia, then west to Iceland. I met so many wonderful people and saw so much that was beautiful. Once upon a time, I taught English in China. I like travel, new things and bus companies that allow you to use e-tickets. Happiness for me can also mean spending hours reading a good book.

My favourite pasta shape is farfalle, but I never buy it, curiously. I have spent years trying to make the perfect hummus. I am not there yet. When I was a child, I used to eat every last Rice Krispie in my bowl because I'd feel bad for leaving any behind ('why didn't you eat me...?') I now eat Bran Flakes for breakfast. People fascinate me.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've had wonderful experiences with Couchsurfing before. I am moving to Bologna in January and would love to meet people there.

Interests

Writing, reading, people's life stories, cooking, documentaries, what's on people's bookshelves, wine, the sky, most forms of fiction, getting up early, words, beauty, great films, translation, tea (lots and lots of tea), woollen jumpers...

• writing
• books
• documentaries
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• breakfast
• wine
• running
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• socializing
• freelancing
• languages
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Middlemarch, Mrs Dalloway, 2666, Anna Karenina, The Brothers Karamazov, Outline, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Persuasion, Nora Webster, The Wings of the Dove, Home (M. Robinson), short stories by Alice Munro, Chekhov... I've started reading more philosophy lately too (Schopenhauer, Seneca).

Films: The Hours, Beginners, Lost in Translation, How To Survive A Plague, La meglio gioventù, Radio Days, Cutie and the Boxer, Se souvenir des belles choses, Another Year, Her... I watch a lot of films.

Music: The Tallest Man on Earth, Beirut, Lisa Hannigan, Counting Crows, Sufjan Stevens, Philip Glass, Florence and the Machine

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, France, Ireland, United Kingdom

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