Photo by meigooni
Is there a Couchsurfers’ Anonymous? I have become seriously addicted to couchsurfing and have a dire need to discuss this dependency with others…
When I took that first step out of Australia almost four months ago I was a girl on a mission: to travel, entirely supported by couchsurfing, for as long as possible.
I wanted to see places and meet people, but most of all I wanted to immerse myself in the community and experience the life of someone who lived and breathed that city, even if for a few short days.
To date, I have been couchsurfing for approximately 105 days and counting. I have been to over 30 cities and couchsurfed with more than 20 people. There have been many occasions where I found myself invited to lunches and dinners with friends and families, or to celebrate a birthday, an event, or a holiday.
Photo by leafar.
Sleeping and living
Every experience has been unique and magnificent in its own way, so much so that my heart now beats childishly upon arriving in a new city, meeting a new host. Couches are always different, and almost always, a pleasant surprise.
Mine have ranged from sleeping on the floor cuddled up with a cat or a dog, to having my very own bedroom complete with king-sized bed, silk sheets, and marble en suite.
All the places I’ve been to have the smell of home. I love surveying the half-burnt candles resting quietly on the coffee table, the dog-eared books left on the sofa, the mix of pots and pans in the kitchen.
Expect the unexpected
There have been so many instances where my trip would not have been as enjoyable without the community of couchsurfing hosts.
In Cairo, I stayed with a generous soul who shared the services of her private chauffeur and personal maid. It made all the difference, as Cairo is not exactly a female nor pedestrian-friendly city. I was flabbergasted at being driven wherever I wanted, with a kind Egyptian driver who made sure I was not heckled or ripped off at popular tourist spots.
At the end of the day, I went back to a comfortable flat to find clean clothes, a made bed, and a friend to have a drink with.
When I was in Bilbao, I tagged along to one of many fiestas, held in a small building only locals frequented.
I was taken crab-hunting in the far reaches of the Arabian Gulf, an experience that’s not not in Lonely Planet’s list of top 10 Dubai experiences! But off I went, and had a fantastic time attempting to catch crabs and dodge crawling sea creatures. At the end of the night, we had a gigantic feast of our catch and treated ourselves to American beer.
I spent Christmas in the Basque region of France with a local family. I experienced first-hand how they celebrated, was treated like part of the family, and got to explore surroundings that I’m sure the average tourist has never set foot upon. I got to eat Basque food, drink Basque wine, and learn Basque history.
Photo by blmurch
Take a chance
Go on, do it. Couchsurfing has brought me more advantages and joy than I could possibly have ever imagined. I have seen and done so much through the kindness of strangers, who I now call my friends. I’m afraid my addiction cannot be cured. It’s an affliction that has changed my life, and I never want it to end. Are any others out there?
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Even if you’re not traveling, you can still experience the pleasures of couchsurfing. Consider being a host after reading “Would You Let a Stranger Sleep on Your Couch?”
About the Author
Related Posts
18 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
CSer myself. I've had some EXCELLENT times with it. What a great resource!
↵ -
I plan to do this when I go travelling next summer, & this has inspired me a huge amount, thank you!
↵ -
Great article on CoachSurfing and it's something that could really take off with the way the global economy is going.
↵ -
The best way to travel all over the world ! Trust me !
↵ -
I always had good experiences with couchsurfing too. Steph…. viva couchsurfing! I like your article! See U in Australia a day… I hope..miss U ^^
↵ -
Keep an eye out on the site over the next week or two – we will reach 1 million members and the entire design and layout is going to be updated
Great article, thanks for sharing your passion.
↵ -
beautiful and inspiring article. i've got to start couchsurfing…
↵ -
Ive hosted 80+ Couchsurfers in Brisbane Australia, totally safe if u know what your doing. to play it totally safe, only stay with people with lots of Positive references. Surfed in Hawaii, Prague, Budapest and Vienna. About to travel Middle East and all Europe with it. It is taking off globally, there are just about a million profiles, however really there are more like 100,000 real couchsurfers. Real Couchsurfers CS love it and keep doing it. A lot of people, IE. gap yrs, short term travels sign up, use it for a couple of months, get back to there family home and stop. ” target=”_blank”>http://www.couchsurfing.org/” target=”_blank”>http://www.couchsurfing.com/ Me Adriannqld Here is a tip. Travel with a CS bag or get the CS Logo on your pack or shirt. Advertise your in it, you never know when u might pass a fellow surfer. I saw a post at 10.30pm last night. A chick fm Finland just made a post saying she was flying in at 10pm and needed somewhere to stay. I was 1700km away but called up to chk if she was ok and she already had a couch at a fellow CS house. CS is not based on free accomodation although its a big bonus. Its about meeting, researching, sharing, networking with travellers and locals. Good Surfing guys, if u join, message me
↵ -
Hi…yep, plenty of us out there! We've hosted and surfed ourselves and met great people who we still keep in contact with. Don't limit yourselves to CouchSurfing.com…HospitatlityClub is worth a check. The interface is not as pretty and user-friendly as CS but depending what country you are traveling in, you might find more hosts with HC. Check out this page for stats on CS vs. HC: ” target=”_blank”>http://meeting.hospitalityclub.org/stats_hc_vs_cs If you need some tips about setting up your profile before you surf, check out my article! ” target=”_blank”>http://www.vagabondish.com/how-to-impress-your-ho...
↵ -
Thanks for reading my article and the positive support. As of today it is my 160th day of couchsurfing and am currently CS-ing with my 28th host. I'm almost done with my European travels and will look forward to hosting people back in sunny Sydney later this year. But for now, rocking on in Snowy Stockholm!
↵ -
I don't know if there's a record for consecutive days of Couchsurfing, but 105 sounds pretty big. Keep it up!
↵ -
Hmm, you make this sound pretty desirable. I would love the extra immersion it would bring. I'm going to think about it.
↵ -
Cheers on your fabulous journey! I’m looking to embark on something amazing myself this summer, and have just gotten into the couchsurfing community. Very inspiring, many thanks!
↵ -
Hi my name is Bennett and I am a CS addict~
Surfing around Europe was the best experience of my entire life. I was able to experience things I never would have had the chance to if I had merely been traveling as a tourist. The people I met while surfing were often the most interesting part about the places that I stayed. Couchsurfing is definitely something everyone should give a shot if they have the chance.
Rock on Stephanie, keep on surfing 365!↵ -
I have been couchsurfing now for about 2 months straight and have had some very similar experiences.
I often try to surf with local hosts rather than expats, in order to experience the local culture more.
I have reaped fabulous benefits and had amazing times and experiences that I would not trade for anything.↵ -
I love the idea of couchsurfing! We’ve done it with globalfreeloaders, which is the same. In the past the couchsurfing site was really bad and the globalfreeloaders was better. But it’s nice to see that couchsurfing had worked on that.
I haven’t met a single person yet, who made a bad experience. The people who do this are very open minded and so you just meet these people and it’s quite easy to get friends. Fantastic! And you also get a very good inside look about country & culture. That’s what I love and what my site/blog is about.
Couchsurfing & similar sites are all about helping each other, meeting new people and discover new countries & cultures! Great! I love it & can recommend it!
↵
