Many years ago –almost ten-, I discovered something that has marked this last period of my life. Along with my wanderlust has always coexisted a need to help others and share life honestly.
I first discovered https://www.hospitalityclub.org, a network for sharing accommodation with the sole purpose to help and meet others. No charge involved, and were each one decides the rules that it will impose in his own house when hosting someone. Today, this site is much less active than its successor https://www.couchsurfing.org, which is the largest hospitality exchange web in terms of number of participants and activities organized around it.
The Couchsurfing platform is very similar to the https://www.hospitalityclub.org idea and today is much more active, with thousands of people registered. A few years ago the project began with some mystic, spreading the word among those participating in the community, explaining the rules and the meaning of it: an online community for sharing accommodation and/or activities for the sole purpose of sharing and meeting new places and friends.
Couchsurfing is not a place to get dates (although sometimes the interaction between people makes things happen ….), is not a place to promote your tour guide services, your profit parties, or anything looking to get money from it. Today many of the new participants have no clear ideas about the guidlines of the community, that a few years ago were almost part of a dogma.
Travellers from different countries have been in my home; different cultures, different ways of seeing life, different ways to interact and share daily activities. That‘s what it is finally Couchsurfing, you can live like people actually live in a place, not just be a tourist, but travel and learn more about the dynamics of a place and its people.
When I started this, my family and friends told me I was a little crazy, that what about security, that do not know the person, it can be dangerous, etc, etc, etc. I was always convinced that this would work, that trust can exist and that life is a little nicer when you can trust others. They were convincing in the way that this could work itself.
Before I go and ask to be hosted, I receive travellers from the community for almost two years in my home, with my mother and my sister. I made very good friends along the way and confirmed that a better world it is possible on a small scale, person to person when someone tries.
When it was my turn to be hosted by someone, it was one of the most shameful moments of my life. I was surprised with such a tremendous hospitality, the boy who was then hosting me in Lima left me his room and he slept in the couch!, in order that I was comfortable. I felt myself what it means that a completely stranger opens you the doors of his house and receives you as a friend, like you have known for a lot of time before. It is what happens sometimes and very often when you do Couchsurfing.
I have made friends with which, until today I continue in contact, creating very deep bows with some of them … even one former boyfriend came to my life, directly to my door thanks to Couchsurfing… (in spite of the fact that it is not a dating site, technically he didn’t ask to me to be hosted, but one of my roommates…so, everything it’s fine!).
The most curious are the bonds that are created between people that just met each others. They all start from a common basis : we love to travel and meet people, which means there is an opening attitude towards meeting others in a very open and friendly way. So you can get to one of the many meetings or events organized and start conversations in less than 30 seconds with many people, common interests jumping in the first minutes and lasting friendships are formed within hours many times.
I have also learned much about detachment and enjoy every moment with whom you have in front of you , you do not know when or if you go back to see that person again in life, making friendships that are created are only for few days or sometimes years, you never know, or can keeps contact via social networks such as has happened with many friends I’ve met over the years.
Certainly all is not rosy and there are a few members of the site just waiting to find a free place to sleep (we call them freeloaders), an “easy” girl or a boy for the night, or just looking to interact with foreigners always seem to be more attractive than local. I have seen so many times lately in meetings when someone attractive comes, people approach him or her like bees to honey, several people of the opposite sex trying to achieve something more than just sharing the good vibes and friendship. But we are not all equal in a community of thousands of people there are for everyone.
So I decided to set some rules in my home to make things clear and I have avoided many problems. What is common sense to me might not be for you, but this world would be much easier to live guess, if we all had the same moral, ethical and the same “common sense.” (See How to be a good Couchsurfer!)
It has certainly been a wonderful experience so far, my trip in India for example had ever been the same without Couchsurfing, being a woman traveling alone, the ability to be with a local, to go with you around the city, introducing you to their friends and show you the way to see the city makes you feel safe and not lonely.
I recommend the Couchsurfing experience to anyone who wants to experience one of the most wonderful ways to share without expecting anything more than sharing a good time together, know each other, to welcome others and building a better world to live, closer and friendly no money involved and only based on trust and interest insharing with others the way you see life.
I’m totally grateful with all the Couchsurfers I’ve met across these years and for the wonderful shared moments, which continue and multiply!!!
Are you part of the Couchsurfing family? How is been your experience?
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