Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing. Strange sounding word, right? And it is strange. While I normally like to send neophytes to Wikipedia to check out concepts, the Wikipedia page for Couchsurfing is terrible. It tends to leave someone that has no knowledge of couchsurfing with an impression that is far from what couchsurfing is all about.

Couchsurfing is, essentially, asking someone to sleep on their “couch” and that “couch” can actually be anything from a spot on the floor to a whole apartment if they aren’t there when you surf their place. I’ve participated in Couchsurfing. Many times. Yes, it can appear to be a strange concept to the uninitiated, but it’s really not. It’s about people who are relatively open to meeting new people and sharing some life experiences. It does, however, have some pros and cons.

Pros: You will be guaranteed meet some really interesting people. Some people say it’s a way to stay somewhere for free. The host can fill you in on what’s going on in a particular locale. You get to see what normal, everyday life can be like in the area in which you find yourself. In a some locales, it’s the absolute best way to find great accommodations. In some instances, you can stay with some incredibly interesting people in some even more incredibly interesting places.

Cons: It takes work. It’s only free for those people who have no money and can’t take their host out for a meal or a drink. Conscientious surfers tend to reciprocate their host’s generosity in some way. Sometimes, the person that says they will host you will back out at the last minute. I’ve had it happen. Sometimes the hosts couch is really, really far away from where you want to be.

What do I look for when I surf? References. I want someone who has a track record as a member of the Couchsurfing community. I look for potential comparability. I’m not the same person I was when I was 18. I don’t surf with teenagers. I want to surf with someone who I feel I’ll appreciate and they will appreciate me. At least to some degree. I welcome diversity, but not to the extent that I think we have absolutely nothing in common. I look for location. I like to meet people and make new friends but I travel to check out an environment and to see some of the world’s greatest wonders. The primary objective of my travels in not to meet new drinking buddies, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I can do that at home. When I surf someone’s couch I want them to be different than I am but I need their couch to be relatively convenient to what I came to their world to see. I look for some “people” time. Couchsurfing is about meeting people and having some people time.

Do I Couchsurf often? No. It’s normally a lot easier to find accommodations at a hostel and hostels don’t cost that much. At a hostel I’m guaranteed to have the ability make new friends if I so desire. Sometimes, I’ll even meet people to travel with. I couchsurf when I’m in a situation where I think it will benefit my understanding of the location I’m going to and I’ll have the opportunity to make the acquaintance of someone I think can can be a real resource and someone that’s fun to be around.