CURRENT MISSION

mission impossible :D

I'm way too unambitious and uninspired to become a travel nerd and join the race of visiting all the countries in the world. I just go with the flow and cherish the good times in the pleasant environments.

ABOUT ME

Most of the time I'm travelling solo and I'm fine with exploring by myself but I also value company.

I love cats 🐈🐈‍⬛ and I'm happy to do cat-sitting and house-sitting.

I gladly accept hosts with references and a profile picture with their face on it, and the ones who are not following nudist or naturist life style. It doesn't matter if you have just a handful or a thousand references as I would also like to contribute to the recently joined members to have more references. I happily respond to the friend requests of the ones I have met in person.

Mist of my life I lived in my home country Finland. I did an exchange semester in Hungary during my studies in 2005. After graduating from the university I left for Australia with a working holiday visa and stayed there for a year first working for about 7 months and travelling the rest of the time in 2008-09. I worked in Luxembourg in 2015-18 and in Norway in 2020-21. Those periods I consider living in the country as I had a local deal to either work or study. I have also stayed longer periods of time in Barbados in 2020 and Romania in 2021-22 due to COVID restrictions slowing down my travels but I was with a tourist visa/status/purpose and wasn't officially working or studying at local institutions.

Fun fact: I have never had any piercings or tattoos.

I'm not a blogger/blogger/influencer. I'm more of a defluencer but sometimes I post a couple pictures from my travels on IG @zirkkeli

Traveller's best friends are debit cards without atm fees. Get yours via these links:

https://revolut.com/referral/sirkkay3r!a10121

https://transferwise.com/invite/u/sirkkaa

https://refnocode.trade.re/sf2swcx2

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

recent years I have spent more time outside than inside my home country Finland. when having a base, I gladly welcome surfers. when on the road, I'm happy to crash a couch and make new friends :)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted and been hosted a few times. good memories.

Interests

travelling, theatre, dancing, cycling, hiking, trekking, climbing, camping, beach volley, downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, windsurfing, flying, bungy jumping, skydiving, knitting, drawing, painting, baking, sauna, soda, tea, chocolate, almond milk, oat milk, avocados, sun-dried tomatoes, fetta cheese, blue cheese, peanuts, pine nuts, ice cream, sorbet, chocolate, tiramisu, marshmallows, rocky road, honey, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cloudberries, gooseberries, cranberries, lingonberries, mulberries, blackberries, quinces, guanabanas, bubble gum, pomegranates, figs, spinach, rocket lettuce, artichokes, kale, turmeric, ginger, chili, coriander, lotus roots, tofu, seitan, pulled oat, beans, tapas, sushi, vegemite, spices, fish, shrimps, salmon, seafood, baklava, blinis, pelmenis, horchata, harissa, zgougou, patacones, ceviche, pan de yuca, chipa, empanada, dulce de leche, palmito, vori vori, sopa paraguaya, chipa guasu, plov/palov, kuksu/kuksi, lagma, kumys, umm ali, oil down, doubles, matapa, matoke, cassava ugali, soursop

• too many to list

Music, Movies, and Books

one part of getting to know the local culture is to listen to the local music, maybe watching a movie too and getting to know the literature if I can find it in a language that I know.

reggae, electronic music, classical music, Tibetan sound bowl relaxation music, Balkan beat

All travel and guide books.

Samsara and Baraka directed by Ron Fricke

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

all the amazing people I have met

Teach, Learn, Share

i think i'm not the teacher type, but certainly we can learn something from everyone :)

i have a minimalistic lifestyle; i collect experiences not material. i try to follow a sustainable way of living in everyday life for example travelling overland instead of flying when available, recycling and reusing things when applicable. i never throw food away, that is what i learned at home as a child.

the great idea of couchsurfing is making new friends all over the world with like-minded people. if you have other motives besides cultural exchange please do not send me any request nor accept my couch request.

What I Can Share with Hosts

travel experiences and company for activities. don't hesitate to ask if you need a strong person to carry something or a tall person to reach something high because for me it's not a big deal to offer my helping hand :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Martinique, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Wales, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Åland Islands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Norway

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