Hi! I'm Yanya!
I love drawing - with pencil, watercolor and oil paint.
I love nature. And whales! Whales - whales - whales!..
I love travelling. So far, it has been mostly Europe, but this summer I visited the US, and just fell in love with Chicago.
I love reading - many different books. Roald Dahl, Douglas Adams, Ray Bradbury, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien...
I love larping (live action role playing) - it's a wonderful way of exploring the world we live in. Feel free to ask me about it.
I love ultimate frisbee (currently not playing due yo a trauma).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love travelling and exploring, but without meeting new people new places just become a list of places I've seen.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: LCD Soundsystem, Noah and the Whale, the Magnetic Fields, Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Joy Division, Oasis..
Movies: Dead Poets Society, Moonrise Kingdom, Star Wars, Over the Garden Wall, the Help...
Books: Douglas Adams', Roald Dahl's, Mova (by Victor Martinovich), 1984, The Chronicles of Narnia, Dandelion Wine, Froth on the Daydream (L'Écume des jours), the Painted Veil...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Re-applied for an American visa only 5 days after being rejected it. Had no hope for success whatsoever. But. Somehow. No idea why or how. I got it. And my American adventures where just magical. Magical.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you a couple of (un)useful Belarusian or Russian phrases. If you want to, you can teach me a bit of your language in return :)
I can tell you stories about my not very numerous adventures, and listen to yours.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love drawing. So, I can draw something for you, like, a portrait - a 5-10 minute sketch - with a pen or a pencil. But I'm not a profesional artist, so don't expect too much. You may see some of my drawings in my profile photos (or on instagram: yanya.zzz).
I can bring you something from Belarus - like local sweets, or some other unusual foodstuffs (if the customs will let it through)).
I can send you a postcard upon my return home :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belarus