I'm a very active person, always interested in too many things, perpetually doing too much to do anything as well as I'd like to – but I can't help it. I study architecture at Warsaw University of Technology which is perfect for me, since architecture consists of so many different branches – architect has to be an artist, sociologist, psychologist, constructor, menager, and many many more, all at the same time.

I think cities are my biggest passion – again, because you can examine them from so many different angles. You study their history, architecture, urban design, social capital, but also what and how communities are being formed within cities. How the place you live affects you and vice versa.

I love nature - I'm not as crazy about it as I used to be though, when I was a girl scout and would spend almost a month each year living in a forest - or maybe I'm just crazy in a slightly different way. I appreciate the beauty of the Earth and try not to interfere with it too much. I'm vegan, but not a vegan terrorist - I make a terrific vegan brownies though!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Because I honestly think it's the best way to travel if you really want to get the real feel of the place you're visiting. You can go on as many tours, and see as many museums as you like, but you'll never get as valuable an experience than through spending time with a local. Every city needs landmarks (or maybe rather our minds need them), but there is more to Paris than just Eiffel Tower and more to Warsaw than Palace of Culture. Even though I study architecture, so I won't deny that material objects fascinate me, I love stories about places I visit and stories about people inhabiting them – even, or maybe especially, when they're personal and not commonly known.

Interests

• animals
• literature
• architecture
• graphic design
• vegetarian
• politics
• traveling
• music
• folk music
• guitar
• piano
• hiking
• sports
• history
• sociology
• hitchhiking
• ukulele
• activism
• feminism
• urban planning
• climate change

Music, Movies, and Books

BOOKS:

'Zaczyn' F. Springer
'Jane Eyre' C. Bronte
'Eating Animals' J. S. Foer
'Anna Karenina' L. Tołstoy
'Martin Eden' J. London
'David Copperfield', 'Great Expectations' C. Dickens
'West with the Night' B. Markham
'Out of Africa' K. Blixen
'Lord of the Rings' J.R.R. Tolkien
'Madame' A. Libera
Nick Hornby (I just really appreciate his ability to make you feel like the character in his book is feeling - even if it makes you want to kill yourself)
'Little Women' L. M. Alcott
'His Dark Materials' P. Pullman
'The Six Bullerby Children ' A. Lindgren
'Feminine Mystique' B. Friedan
'Radical Cities' J. McGuirk

FILMS:
'What's Eating Gilbert Grape'
'Little Women'
'Star Wars'

MUSIC:
Joan Baez
Bob Dylan
Loreena McKennitt
Paula&Karol
Nina Simone
Nat King Cole
Jan A. P. Kaczmarek
Howard Shore
Edith Piaf
Simon&Garfunkel

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Crossing a big torrent in northern Norway (we had a map and it was full of trails which, unfortunately, where nowhere to be found in real life) was pretty extreme. I remember each of my friends had a different way of dealing with the hardship of this crazy undertaking - the one in front of me would pray (Ave Maria), I sweared quite a lot (not very proud of it...), and a friend behind me sang.

After a guitar class in primary school we felt like eating some crisps. No money though. So we sat in front of our school, put a note saying 'we're collecting money for crisps' in one of our guitar cases and started playing some really lame songs (at that time we probably knew how to play one) and actualy raised some money which allowed us to buy not one but a couple of packets of crisps!

I hitchhiked through France, Belgium and Germany 2 years ago.

Teach, Learn, Share

Warsaw is not a pretty city. But it's amazingly interesting and everyday I'm discovering new little trasures here. And I'd love to share my passion for my hometown with you! ( Btw this song describes Warsaw just too well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5CE1yPDxAs )

What I Can Share with Hosts

Many funny stories about Polish politics, great vegan cakes, architectural expertise!

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Poland