My name is Ola, I'm a non-binary Polish Catholic (+ some level of animism) person with inattentive ADHD. If none of that makes you go "ew", I'm absolutely pleased to meet you.

I use they/them/theirs pronouns and gender-neutral terms.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I'm in a tight spot financially, and I'm looking for a less expensive way of getting around.

I'm trying to expand my knowledge of nature-based skills (archery, herbalism, foraging, axe skills, stealth skills, permaculture, living outside in general, and more) in welcoming, queer friendly, decolonizing spaces, so I'm taking classes all over the Northeast. That said, I'm only just starting out, so I don't know a whole lot yet!

I'm also becoming more aware of alternative social systems like mutual aid as a means of forming more resilient communities in the face of climate change and governmental disaster. We are all that we've got, so let's help each other out on the way.

Interests

Learning about all the gifts the plant world offers to us every day. Developing a genuine spiritual practice that isn’t culturally appropriative. Dungeons and Dragons. And whatever I’m hyperfixating on at the moment.

• writing
• folklore
• drawing
• catholic
• nature
• mythology
• survival skills
• mushrooms
• queer
• indigenous rights
• herbal medicine
• tarot
• foraging
• herbalism
• native plants
• botany
• nature walks
• mutual aid
• dungeons and dragons
• critical role
• fantasy books
• animism
• plant identification
• prehistory
• indigenous cultures
• polish culture
• guerrilla gardening
• antifascism
• queerness
• indigenous culture
• natural dyes
• kincentric

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies
Pretty much everything done by Studio Ghibli, The Fall, Amelie, The Secret of Kells, The Night is Short Walk on Girl, Mad Max Fury Road, The Labyrinth

Books
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, the Redwall series, Kingkiller Chronicles, The Song of Achilles, Ceremony, Orlando, anything by Tove Jansson (the Moomins), Stand Still Stay Silent (it's a webcomic), Earthsea series

Music
chill soundtrack music (Skyrim is a favorite), world folk music (Polish is a favorite)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was studying abroad in Bath, England, my Shakespeare class went on a field trip to London to see Coriolanus at the Globe Theater on March 2nd. (The play was gross and I'd be happy to never see it again, but the costuming was fantastic.)

Being the British Romantic Literature nerd that I was, I put together that John Keats, writer of "Ode on a Grecian Urn", saw the Parthenon Marbles at the British Museum for the first time on March 2nd. He was the same age I was then. So after the show, I went to see the Parthenon Marbles at the British Museum for the first time, and read "Ode on a Grecian Urn" while sitting in front of the panel of the "heifer lowing at the skies". Absolute nerdery.

That said the Parthenon Marbles should be in Athens where they belong and not in London. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm travelling to take classes for nature-bases skills (sometimes called survival or primitive skills), so if you have any information about foraging, camping, fishing, kayaking/canoeing, growing food, leather working, fire starting, basket making, or anything else a person would need to know in case of total economic collapse, I'm all ears.

I'm not really the best cook in the world, so if you've got a sick recipe you're desperate to pass on to as many people as possible, I will happily learn how to make your best meal ever.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Ever wanted to pick the brain of...
a non-binary person?
a practicing Catholic?
a fluent Polish speaker?
a combination of all three???
If you're willing to be respectful, I'd be happy to engage in dialogue and answer questions you might have about any of these three things, or how I make it all work!

If you've got some unsprayed land nearby, I'd be happy to show you which plants are edible or medicinal. I can also teach you the "plant detective" method of foraging/learning about plants, taught to me by Dina Falconi. Let me know if you're interested in this, and I'll bring my books, too.

If you're looking to supplement your general health with some herbs, I can offer some advice on what herbs work best for your needs, how to take them, and where to get them. Be aware, however, that I'm not a clinical herbalist, and there are gaps in my knowledge. My purview is primarily general wellness and everyday illnesses. Let me know if you're interested in this, and I'll bring my books and years worth of notes from various classes.

If you're playing, running, or planning a game of Dungeons and Dragons, I can help with character builds (both PC and NPC), character development, worldbuilding, and advice for new DMs. I play and run 5e regularly, and I'm well known in my circle for my engaging characters and worlds.

Need some text edited? Want your short story/poetry workshopped? That's a thing I can do. I'm willing to do 3 pages a night without issue; if you've got something longer in mind, hit me up and we'll discuss it.

I can draw a quick portrait of you, your friends, your pets, you name it. Just hold still, please. Let me know if you want me to do this, and I'll bring some materials.

If all you really want in life is to hear some stories about Loki, I'm told that my retelling of Norse myths are hysterical.

And if absolutely none of that sounds interesting to you, I will quietly keep to myself, pet your pets for as long as they ask, and gladly remove any insects/spiders found in the house for you. No I will not squish them.

As a given, I will also bring a 6 pack of Polish beer with me. Na zdrowie!

Countries I’ve Visited

England, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Poland

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Poland, United States