CURRENT MISSION

Studying, writing, travelling... it seems that Santiago de Compostela is the heart of all of it, really. To be more precise, I'm working on my thesis which will portray the poetics of pilgrimage and its transformation into nomadism in literature. How does one write this kind of text? That is the question. In an attempt to answer in, I'm trying to travel (now using Couchsurfing again) and write (a new novel) as much as possible these days.

ABOUT ME

I'm right now doing a PhD in comparative literature and creative writing at UQAM in Montreal. Reading books is what has always appealed to me. On top of that, my love to literature means also writing. I write poems, reportages from the road, interviews and I have already written some books, among which one is about France, and the newest takes place o Camino de Santiago - you can check it out here, on my site: www.mikolajwyrzykowski.pl.
But first, before I write, I travel. I adore going to new places and meeting new people. This is my way of living.

PHILOSOPHY

Life is like a watermelon. And I love watermelons.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

A few years ago I've been to France and in a few cities I used couchsurfing - it was always a great experience. I met fantastic people and I have formidable memories from that trip. I have also had great hosts in England, when I spend some time during my student exchange in London on visiting the country.
Some of these relationships stayed with me longer and enabled be to go further in my life.

Interests

Travelling, music, litterature, photography, sport, dogs, Camino de Santiago, wine

• dogs
• culture
• writing
• books
• literature
• poetry
• photography
• reading
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• piano
• sports
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

I love the films of Wes Anderson, Joachim `Trier, Terrence Malick, Jim Jarmusch...
Concerning the authors, some of the best I've read are. F.Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Jorge Louis Borges, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Alejo Carpentier, Garcia Lorca, Edmond Jabès, Olga Tokarczuk...
Music: Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, The Head and the Heart...
I like classical music as well, especially piano works by Mozart and Schubert, but also Goldberg Variations by Bach and Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Long hikes are the most intense adventures I've had. The last one I did was the 500km long hike across the Polish Beskidy mountains, which I did right after the first covid lockdown.

Teach, Learn, Share

I would like to get to know the history of the place I visit, it's culture, but the most important thing - just talk with new people and walk around the city. I find the sharing of passions really enriching.
I can share with you my love of literature and writing - art, as an almost spiritual practice, plays (as for me) a very important role in History and I guess that's one of the reasons I'm doing a PhD. So yes, we could do a poetry evening or just have a nice Polish or French supper and talk about our cultures, passions, travels.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Most of the year I'm living in Montreal, where for the moment I don't really have space in my student apartment, but I like to welcome guests in my parents's house in Toruń, Poland. In that case we can sure go and visit the city, I can tell you sth about Poland, its many traditions, history, culture, people, my beautiful town Toruń and gingerbreads there...And maybe I will be able to show you some Polish cuisine!

Countries I’ve Visited

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, England, France, Iceland, Poland