COUCHSURFING 101

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Okay -- so before I entertain you with my London blog, I decided to go into more detail about Couchsurfing since most of you are unfamiliar with the concept and I'm going to reference it quite frequently from this point forward. Up to now, I've kept the concept pretty vague as its a bit detailed to explain and not easy to grasp first-hand, but I'm opening up in sharing what Couchsurfing is all about in hopes that you'll gain a full understanding, and maybe an appreciation of it, as it is the foundation of my travels and experiences throughout Europe.

First, let me familiarize you with some abbreviations I will use often. So PAY ATTENTION people!

CS = Couchsurfing
CSer = Couchsurfer

As a couchsurfer, you participate in one or more of the following ways:
Host- the person offering a place to stay to a traveler, which could a your couch, extra bed, floor, etc.
Surfer - the traveler, who sends requests to a Host to surf on their couch.
Coffee or Drinks - the person who may not have a place to offer to stay, but he/she is willing to meet up with a CS traveler to become acquainted, show them around town, suggest places to see & things to do, etc.


A Couchsurfer Profile
In order to participate one must create a profile on www.couchsurfer.com. I would describe it as a social network similar to Facebook or Myspace, but for travelers. Your profile includes general information like age, occupation, etc., as well as personal information that gives others a sense of your personality, hobbies, travel experiences, etc. The most important part of ones profile is the Reference section, where people can leave comments about their interactions with an indivdual and the experience is rated as either positive, neutral, or negative. It is this reference section that CSers rely on to get a general idea of what the other person is like before they move further in seeking to be hosted or to meet up. You have the ability to be completely honest in your reference, and if someone has a negative experience CSers want to share it with the rest of the CS community to weed out the good from the bad.

The objective of Couchsurfing is best summed up in its mission statement:

Participate in Creating a Better World,

One Couch at a Time
CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance and facilitate cultural understanding.

As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal.

CouchSurfing is not about the furniture, not just about finding free accommodations around the world; it's about making connections worldwide. We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!

How did I come across Couchsurfing?
Last November when I decided to take the big travel plunge, I was researching my options on places to stay including hotels, hostels, homestays, etc. I randomly came across Couchsurfing in my Google search and as I perused through the website, I became increasingly fascinated that such a concept existed.

I was really interested in participating, but of course still skeptic having lacked experience. Afterall, you're dealing with interacting with complete strangers. I signed up anyway, but needed a way to find out what Couchsurfing was all about. I quickly discovered that many cities have their own local CS groups -- Los Angeles included,with a membership of almost 200 people and quite active in getting together for various events and activites. I attended my first event in February at the LA Times Travel Show in Long Beach which had a turnout of 10+ people, most American, with a few international folks.. Though I had never met anyone in the group, and most of the group had not met any of the others, there was no hesitance from any one person to engage in conversation to get to know one another. It was a mixture of CSer's & new and old. The experienced CSers I spoke with said nothing but positive things about their travel experiences and interactions with fellow CSers in the US and abroad, in addition to providing suggestions for my future travels to Europe.

Fortunately my first meeting gave me a good impression. I soon joined the Long Beach CS group & continued to go to gatherings whenever my scheduled allowed from bonfires, parties, movies on the beach, hanging out at bars, artwalks, and other miscellaneous social activities -- there were endless opportunities. My participation also extended to accepting requests to meet up with CSers, visiting from out-of-state and internationally, interested in just meeting for coffee or drinks. Needless to say, the more I participated the more I became reassured of the CS concept.

In my experience, has Couchsurfing lived up to its mission?
YES, YES, & YES. To sum up each time I've attended a CS gathering: I went alone, interacted with complete strangers, but quickly became comfortable & acquainted with many, engaged in conversations getting to know one another, exchanged travel & personal other experiences, and walking away each time with one or more CS friends. And now that my participation recently includes being a "Surfer" and have since been hosted in London and now currently in Paris -- I can't even begin to praise it even more so. I've been in Europe only 5 days going on 6 - and have yet to share with all of you what I've learned about other people and their cultures from my recent interactions with my hosts and other international CSers. This trip isn't just about sightseeing to take a million pictures just so I can come home saying "I've been there or I've seen that"...By Couchsurfing, I'm able to do such PLUS submerge myself in the culture from each place I visit.

With all that being said -- I hope that this blog has proved what I intended it to do. Some of you may still think I'm crazy, but maybe I've convinced a few of you to be believers, and perhaps some of you too will one day have your own CS adventures. But please don't think its a means to a free place to crash -- its beyond that - a cultural exchange that should be appreciated, not abused. Lastly, Couchsurfing isn't for everyone. It takes a certain person to truly fit in as a CSer - having an open mind, an adventurous spirit, and a desire to learn and grow through new experiences from the interactions w/ like-minded individuals are key to survival in the CS world.

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Lynn's London Blog....Stay tuned. Coming to a computer near you...

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Photos

London
My CS host Shah - & some Swiss CSers Alva & Doolie

London CSers
Socializing with the London CS Group