First I heard Couch surfing from one of my friends, he is travel solo. He introduced me to it since we love traveling like a local. Free stay sounds good to me I don’t have to pay and save cost for accommodation. But here is not as what I thought for the first time. Couch Surfing is not the free place to stay, it is the place that you can share the traveling experiences, tips, culture, cuisine, life experiences, meet up with good like-minded people and make a new friends all over the world. This makes me so explicit about the true meaning of Couch Surfing. I don’t think people will mind to pay a few dollars for staying, in dormitory or hostel, but people wants to experience the local living, life that is true amazing ever. My first guest was Chinese girl, she is very experience with Couch Surfing since I was just a new one J I joined this CS since March 2014, and she has asked me to offer her host. I just simply responded with [YES] She came to my place and stayed, it was just weird to me that I was with the stranger in the same room? I had no idea what to do, where to start………… but it is not the worst. I am pretty good with Mandarin so we are easy to get along, many topics to go, cooking and hanging out together. I am very talkative with only my best friends, with stranger I need to take time to adapt it. But talking with her is like we have known each other for long time, kind of old friend. It is destiny that we meet each other from difference world. After the first CS experience with her I found that I was really interested about CS. we was sharing a lots of life and traveling. She gave many tips how to be safe as female solo. She has been traveling over three years alone with her backpack to anywhere that was so dangerous for female solo. But [Life is dangerous and dangerous is to take risk] I have guest coming almost every two weeks; I would love to spend time with my surfers. We cooked together, hang out, laughing, drinking and sharing stories, then they left but the memorable still. Through CS experience hosting people I realized that people came and gone, but what we had enjoyed is the moments. Everyone has their own journey to walk even me, people we have meet in our life is not by accident but they are meant to be in our life, just they could not make it to the end. Since 2014 to now I have almost 20 surfers who stay in my place and many CSers just meet up. Some people they have bad experience with CS, for me still okay I had met all good people, understanding and respect my room’s rules. Just one of them I had boring with her, she is not bad person, nor puts me in troubles, just with me she always scrolls her smartphone and talks nothing, that would make me boring. So here what I want to say CS is not free stay, if you think that you make a big mistake. We can afford for hostel but why people here with CS, because we want to share traveling experience, life, culture and travel like a local, that’s why we are here, isn’t it? Traveling is where you can learn better than school. Listen to people’s stories was amazing feeling ever. Some of them I have been hosted now we become good friends and still stay in touch. I have spent these 3 years just hosting people I never request for host. Why not here be a surfer, I am owl night most of the time I travel I like hanging out late night so it doesn’t sound good for my host and my scheduling plan is not the plan, it was pretty hard to adjust with them. But I have also my first experience staying with my host as in dorm. Too bad I supposed he is the local, he is Germany born in Vietnamese haha……….. Not really like a local way,,, but he is the best host ever. I was invited for bbq party during my first day, met many beautiful people, laughing, drinking and playing pool. Wow……………….that is awesome. My next solo just stays in hostel.
Be a good host and stay safe
-Double check the references before let them in your room. They no need to have tons of good reviews; just a few that make you can trust. It is safe.
-Tell them how to be safe, do and don’t in your town even they don’t ask for.
-Spend time with them if you can, if not guide them what to do and where to go.
-Offer host one or two nights is appropriated, if you think you guys can get along then you can offer more.
-Hanging out is AA method. You don’t expect surfer will pay you bill, because they don’t have to.
-Introduce them to your local dishes, or special dish.
-Advice those about local price and bargain avoid to lose.
-Advice when and where to keep their value stuff in safety.
-Bring them to your favorite pubs if they are drinker, if not then step away.
-Understand and Respect everyone culture and traditional value.
-Make them feel like home while staying with you.
-Give them some space to notice their family about their safety, not talk all the times.
-Stay safe if you are female host, and your guest are males. Trust your gut is the most importance.
Be a good surfer and stay safe
-If you don’t have any experience with CS and barely to find host, you have to be a host then they will write you the references. Save that credit easy for you to find host.
-Double check the references of people you are going to stay with, this is very important.
-Report to [CS community] immediately if you have a bad experience with your host.
-Be following your host rules.
-Sharing your experience and tips is exchanged with your stay
-Looks your watch, do not hang out too late, if you are with them is fine.
-Respect and understand their cultures. This is very crucial.
-You have to adjust with their working time.
-Helping for cleaning and cooking when you have time.
-Give the host space to do their next day working plan.
-Be aware their working time is priority.
-Do not request for long stay just two or three nights is maximum.
-Make sure you are safe in any circumstances when using CS.
Totally, I have amazing experiences with CS. Where the community is brings people from difference places come to meet each other. I couldn’t agree moreJ. CS has brought many awesome people, beautiful soul to me. If you cannot host or stay with CS, you should join their weekly meet up with CSers. CS is the way to makes new friends around the world, I cannot believe that it can bring people [Stranger] sits down and talk like old friend. This is fantastic community. Anyway stays safe is the most importance when you are using CS. You are the one who responses with your own safety. CS community is the place who brings people to meet each other and make friend, also people can travel like a local but it is not the [Life Insurance company] be clear that. Your beautiful journeys could not happen without CS experiences. Stay in touch with people you have met from CS if they are gems. Share me your CS experiences here.
