Hey there, it's Leah and Sönke!
Just finished our studies, quit our jobs and now we are going to fulfil our long-cherished dream of travelling around the world!

Our plan is to hitchhike across Canada in Aug/Sep 2024. Then by bus all the way to the southern tip of South America. At Christmas time we will fly over to New Zealand/Australia and then make our way back to Europe by cars and trains.

We have a travel blog on which we regularly publish photos, texts and videos:
https://invaluablediary.com/

Leah's CS profile is here:
https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/leah-kopetzki-1

We are super grateful for any help we get on our journey and would like to offer our stories, our culture and our help in return.
It's the personal encounters, not the sight-seeing, that will make our trip an unforgettable part of our lives and we hope to make you a part of it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Locals always are more interesting than every sight in the world!

Interests

• photography
• cooking
• coffee
• running
• drinking
• music
• jazz
• surfing
• sailing
• soccer
• food
• stories
• exploring

Music, Movies, and Books

A few authors that I highly enjoyed reading:
- Eric Weiner (especially "Geography of Bliss") - my favourite author, funny and thoughtful
- Malcom Gladwell - just recently started his books, easy reading and new perspectives
- Oliver Burkeman (especially "4000 weeks") - potential to turn your view on life upside-down
- Rutger Bregman - oh man, what an inspiration
- Jack London - love his adventures from the great north
- Gideon Defoe - just super funny

A few more books:
- The lonely century by Noreena Hertz - a must read
- The day the world stopped shopping by J.B. MacKinnon - a holistic view on consumerism, no finger pointing, just very good perspectives to learn from
- The power of strangers by Joe Keohane - this inspired me to look up from my phone and start chatting with strangers
- Work: A history of how we spend our time by James Suzman - well just skip all the chapters until the last one, I could relate a lot on his views

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: Even though I am not an excellent cook, I love to share some recipes and be creative in the kitchen.

Learn: I live to laugh, cry, talk, drink, eat and have fun with open-minded people! I have respect for other cultures.

Share: I think my teaching point should actually go here

What I Can Share with Hosts

Leah and I, we are very flexible. We have our sleeping bags, mattress and even a tent, so we can even stay in the garden if needed.

We understand that everyone has a life and that it is our duty to leave the house in a better state than before.

We would love to do something with our hosts but we also always have some things to see independently.

We are good listeners and want to listen to your life story. Everyone has a story to tell.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Israel, Mongolia, Russian Federation, South Korea, Switzerland, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, France, Germany