Hello! Como estas, kak dela, ca va? I'm Nikita - half American, half Russian, born and raised in the United Kingdom but still hanging onto an American accent...

I'm currently studying for a BA in Physics at Oxford University, although I take every opportunity to keep up my more creative side by playing guitar and singing at open mic nights, writing travel pieces for anyone that will read them and trying to read as much as possible.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

To get a free bed out of you.

Just kidding!

I'm new to couch surfing, but I love the idea of sharing stories, food and space with a complete stranger. I think there is no better way to see that fundamentally, we are all quite similar: we share hopes and fears, good intentions and poor decisions, open mindedness and bias.

I feel that in the 21st century, we are immensely lucky to be able to connect with one another, but it is like the luck of sailors with a vast ocean at their disposal: it is so great as to be terrifying. Let's work together to overcome the niggling doubts that divide us and chart a course towards greater unity, starting with the tiny decision to share a place to sleep.

Interests

• cooking
• running
• working out
• meditation
• reading
• traveling
• music
• guitar
• sports
• basketball
• philosophy
• physics
• eating
• learning languages
• sport
• buddhism
• usa
• comedy
• london
• russia
• judaism
• playing basketball
• long distance running

Music, Movies, and Books

Wow, where to start?!

I should admit that I have strong opinions on most of the art I see, read and hear, but in my defence I am always ready to change my mind. I have no problem admitting when I am wrong, which is good because it happens rather often...

I'll limit myself, arbitrarily, to 6 of my favourites in each of the 3 categories:

MUSIC (Albums)
- Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series Vol. 5, Rolling Thunder Review 1975
- Jeff Buckley: Grace
- Frank Ocean: Channel Orange
- Kendrick Lamar: Good Kid, MAAD City
- Oscar Peterson Trio: Night Train
- Paul Simon: Graceland

BOOKS
- The Godfather: Mario Puzo
- The Garden of Evening Mists: Tan Twan Eng
- Seven Brief Lessons in Physics: Carlo Rovelli
- The Great Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Idiot: Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Homo Deus: Yuval Noah Harari

MOVIES
- Pulp Fiction: Quentin Tarantino
- Fight Club: David Fincher
- Fantastic Mr Fox: Wes Anderson
- Shoplifters: Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Ratatouille: The Pixar Production Line
- Apollo 11: Todd Douglas Miller

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Most recently, a few friends and I hiked up the Bucegi Mountains in Romania, getting chased by bulls and dogs along the way. We camped wild on an isolated mountaintop in the clouds, pelted by rain and hail, one of us nearly got hypothermia, two of us screwed up our knees and another threw up for 12 hours straight after the hike. We all agreed that these were small sacrfirices for the view we got when the clouds parted and for ten minutes we could see the entire Bucegi Valley swimming in mist, with the crystal clear peaks of mountains fading out to the horizon.

I'd like to say that it prompted some deep philosophical insights, but in truth I had only one thought at that moment: f*ck that's beautiful.

Teach, Learn, Share

Anything I know, think, understand, I would absolutely love to share with you. I love sharing and receiving knowledge - sometimes a little too much! Let me know if I start giving you unsolicited advice...

Five cool things I might try to share with you:

- Enough Russian for you to survive in Siberia
- How to play The Beatles or Bob Dylan or most other musicians' songs on guitar (if you have one!)
- How to cook my favourite stir fry with egg fried rice
- The basic ideas of Special Relativity, like why time passes slower for you the faster you move through space
- Share anything I have to eat, listen to, watch: mi backpack su backpack!

What I Can Share with Hosts

First and foremost, consideration, respect and friendship. I try to treat everyone well, let alone someone that has let me into their house to spend a night! As a small token of my gratitude let me cook you a meal, serenade you on the guitar, share some of my best travel stories and listen with keen ears to yours.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Peru, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom