Surf's up!

I first got involved around two years ago. Having the travel bug can get costly, so anything to cut down costs while travelling helps. So a friend introduced me to CouchSurfing, the website where travellers from and going to all sorts of places can connect and find a place to sleep for a night. I mean, to be honest, when you pay for a hotel, especially when you're travelling alone, all you do is go to bed at night, take a shower (or not) and leave again in the morning. And that could easily set you back 50dollars, or more (especially if you don't consider hostels... but even some hostels can charge that much for a bunk bed...).

So Couchsurfing is really a great way to travel and safe costs. Plus, you get to meet locals in the city or country who can let your travel experience be even more enriching and knowledgeable than if you were wandering around with a guidebook...

I'm not sure why, perhaps because it's summer time, but I've been getting a lot of requests to surf my place (sometimes people just want to meet up for a drink or chat). I had a guy from the UK a few weeks back, and he left a really positive comment (something along the lines of my place being the most comfortable and me being very hospitable...). And this week someone from Serbia wants to meet up, next week a couple from Spain also want to meet, and then September a guy from Austria is interested in staying over.

I really don't mind, and wholeheartedly open up my place to them. I consider it part of "giving back" to the world and helping a stranger who could very well become a friend (like many people I've surfed with before). I mean picture yourself travelling all by yourself in a foreign land and not knowing anyone. A friendly gesture, a comfortable bed for the night goes a long way to let travellers feel welcome and "at home" away from home.