Nat(haniel) was my second host in Malta. Having lived here for 8 years, staying with him was a great experience! But what was even more interesting was some of his travel and life stories... especially from his times in Russia. Guns, kidnapping, alcohol, aunts.. you name it, tune in for an entertaining episode ;)

To follow his adventures:

https://www.instagram.com/hommedumonde12

https://unfazedtraveler.com

Recording date: 27.02.23

Karen was my first Couchsurfing host here in Malta. She is in her early thirties, from Colombia, has been here for 7 months and learnt English in 6 months.

We instantly connected and I found out that she too lives her life with a deep-rooted faith in God (or Higher Power, Universe, Nature, whatever you want to call it). Her story is incredible, and she is living proof that if you listen to the signs, things will always work out. God will always provide; more will always be revealed.

Her 14 year old son will be coming to live in Malta with her in March. She lives in a house with her father and 4 other Colombians. If you'd like to contribute and help her out, please write "KAREN" when you donate and i'll send it straight to her.

To follow her adventures:

https://www.instagram.com/karensan.22

https://www.facebook.com/karen.sanchez.33449138

This was my last podcast recorded in Athens, with one of my Couchsurfing hosts: Theo.

With yet another interesting story, and one of the rare people that actually knows (and loves) temazcales (Mexican "sweat lodge" ritual) I just had to do an episode with him!

Sit back, enjoy, and welcome to Theo's world.

To follow his adventures:

https://www.instagram.com/teo.iliadis/

Ecstatic dance Greece:

 https://ecstaticdance.gr/calendar/ecstatic-dance-w-live-music-contact-impro-class/?occurrence=2022-12-04

R and I met in Manchester in 2021. We didn't hang out for long but the connection was instant, and have been friends ever since. We speak almost everyday and she recently came to visit me in Athens, where we decided to record this podcast.

This is a bit of a different podcast as I went for Christmas Eve dinner at the couple's for who I babysit for, and we ended up recording a podcast!

On this topic, if you're reading this, I urge you to take some time to write down your highlights of 2022 and the things you are letting go of.

We all have the power to become the utmost best version of ourselves, and it all begins with simple small steps.

Have  a wonderful festive season and see you in 2023 :)

Ever been to an ecstatic dance?

What even is an ecstatic dance?

PS... it was AMAZING!

For more info and other dances in Greece: https://ecstaticdance.gr/calendar/ecstatic-dance-w-live-music-contact-impro-class/?occurrence=2022-12-04

https://ecstaticdance.gr/

Dive into a little afternoon spent with 2 of my Couchsurfers here in Athens. We're sitting on my carpet, eating baklava and drinking tea, and went with the topic of all 3 of us being from divorced parents. Of course, that's not where we ended up - check the timestamps for the topics.

That day was also the second day of Emmanuel’s full time traveler’s life; one of the healthiest 30 year old men i've met in my life so far. 

I hope you enjoy this episode and get as much as I did out of it!

Timestamps:

Intro

00:55 Intro Victoria

1:07 Intro Emmanuel

3:25 How split parents has influenced us

7:00 How traveling makes you grow up faster

8:00 Victoria’s parents divorce

14:10 Dominant independent women

15:50 Definition of ‘dominant’

19:30 Can two people be independent and have a relationship/Ideal model

24:07 Feeling whole and complete within yourself FIRST before entering a relationship

27:46 A partner “for life”?

29:00 Do children need to be raised by two parents?

37:00 What if your father died?

47:33 Trying to see the parents’ points of views

49:50 People who enjoy fighting (conflict)

01:01:20 Relationship with a step-parent

01:06:30 The Hostel Story (Ema)

01:12:40 The female/male sensitivity in Couchsurfing

01:20:53 Closing questions & words of advice

Erasmus + Projects: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects

Follow Emmanuel's adventures: https://www.instagram.com/emanuele_perati/

This is a bit of a different type of episode.. one of my recent Couchsurfers straight up asked me a very deep question from the moment she got to my place, and I just knew it was going to be a conversation to record… and share.

So here it is, I am about to publicly share my full life story (this is part 1- it’s long). This is a big step for me in coming to terms with my past, and moving into a new cycle of life. I am truly letting go of the past, and I hope that someone hears something that they resonate with, and that will help them.

Check out the timestamps for a brief idea of what my life has looked life so far.

** Trust me guys, if I can go through that and still come out on the other side, so can you. Believe in yourself. Use your past and your hardships and turn them into life lessons to build, grow, evolve, and thrive.

Timestamps:

Intro

1:20 “Chris how did you become an alcoholic”

1 of the factors: genetic

What is addiction

6:06 High functioning addicts

2nd factor: environment

3rd factor: childhood and trauma

9:30 entering pre-teenage hood on unstable foundations

9:58 my brother

12:58 the pain I felt at 9-10

13:34 moving to bangkok at 13 (and some stories I never told before)

20:15 attachment style

21:35 my mum

22:39 moving back to Singapore

22:55 drugs in Bangkok at 14

24:30 moving to Paris from Singapore at 18

31:00 going back to Asia after uni (moving to Vietnam, the night that led me to rehab)

39:28 going to rehab for 3 months in Chiang Mai (the full story)

59:56 my dad’s death & the start of my recovery at 21

It ends a little abruptly… but stay tuned for part 2!

In this episode, one of my youngest Couchsurfers so far, and I talk about bucket lists, traveling, life, planning and goals. We have the craziest story.. I thought she looked familiar when I first saw her.

Welcome to episode 10 :)

Intro Helene

6:20 Bucket lists

12:53 Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?

14:37 What do you enjoy doing?

16:45 Going with the flow

19:20 The Camino de Santiago

20:47 Idea of not having the phone for 30 days

24:28 Break from theoretical studying

29:00 You can always break a commitment.. if you discover that it’s not the best fit for you and not adding value to your life.

32:32 Learning to let go and let life unfold

38:05 Scratching the surface of minimalism

42:33 “The more you have, the more you don’t have” (wow.. super profound moment Chris)

44:00 The impact of environment and society on us (and being Europe)

53:11 What is confidence

1:03:10 Closing thoughts and questions

I get real vulnerable in this episode.. If you're ready to hear me cry - hear the good, the bad and the ugly, then listen on.

I recap on the past birth year - celebrating my 27th birthday in Estonia, after the whole Mexico/Central America trip until today (living in Athens), the lessons i've learnt, the things i've accomplished, and a few tips if you're 27.

The one big tip I have for you right now though: do these check ins with yourself every year, not only in the New Year, but for your birth year too. 

28 will be big for me - I can feel it! How much have you levelled up since your last year?