Couchsurfing is...

So. Well As you probably know, when I talked about all the cool places I went in my trip in 2007/8, 90% of the I stayed at.. XX's, were couchsurfers. A lot of people don't know much about Couchsurfing, and can't believe I would stay on people's couches. That I didn't know. In foreign countries! And yes, granted I saved a lot of money this way, but it was also a wee bit stressful never having a room, only occasionally having a bed, turning up in strange places and having to socialise with strange people and follow instructions to houses in the middle of nowhere, and spending a lot fo my travel time on the internet trying to arrange where I was going to stay, when I was going to arrive, who I was meeting. Honestly, it's far easier to book a hostel.

So Why Couchsurf? Well for me, and for a lot of people, it's not about the free accomodation. And recent things in the media, including a debate I wandered into here has made me think WHY do we couchsurf? And why can't media seem to get that it's more than just a free place to stay?

So.. to me couchsurfing is:

- all the cool people I met in Toronto who, considering I didn't have a job or know anyone when I arrived in May, I would never know

- the amazing 5 day drive/ferry/party in Newfoundland, the road trip I would never have gone on if someone in the CS Toronto group hadn't posted "Anyone want a ride to Newfoundland?" - I saw Icebergs!

- The party with over 100 people in Boston, all of which were couchsurfers and so happy to talk to you, and the cool people I met there who hung out with me while my friends I was ACTUALLY visiting in Boston had work all day

-The amazing time I had in NYC staying with the people I met at the Boston party the week before, and the amazing friendship I STILL have with a couple of them, even though we only met for 4 days a year ago

-My going away party in Toronto where we ended up in my friends apartment, drining Sangria and dancing Salsa (which I had only learned that night) with a couple of mexicans and an argentinian until after 5am. Man, South Americans can dance!

- the great time I had in Valencia with the tomatina crew, and the insane wine festival the locals took us to which ended up being way better than Tomatina, and we would have never known about otherwise

-the chance to watch the opening game of the rugby world cup in Toulouse with 11 crazy chain smoking French rugby players swearing at the tv

-the crazy Vegetable orchestra in Vienna, how many hostel goiers do you know of that go to contemporary art museum openings in old Nazi bunkers in their trips?

- DORA! The girl that couldn't host me, but hosted a night of wine, chatting and making Hungarian cake in Budapest, and then invited me out the next night to hang with the amazing Budapest Couchsurfers

-VIKTOR! Another amazing Hungarian couchsurfer who I met in New York and who a) talked me into going to Budapest (even though it took a couple of months to sink in) and b)let me stay in his apartment in Budapest even though he wasn't there!

-My crazy friends in Munich - people from back home I knew already - but who managed to hook us up a sweet place to crash, with an amazing host who not only cooked delicious food for us, but saved us a place in the best real German tent for the last night of Oktoberfest and then had MORE food ready when we got home after losing him at the end of the night. Oh, AND he even offered for me to wear his mother's german lady costume. Which I declined because I only had hiking boots, but when I got into that amazing tent, I felt wholly underdressed!

- Gesa! The awesomely funny girl I stayed with in Berlin who fed me currywurst, told me I could speak german because I was good at faking it at the kebab shop and laughed at drunk Americans with me

- The cool dude in Copenhagen who I hung out with watching scary movies (did you know all Danish tv is in English?)

-The very cool girl who I met at my going away party in Toronto but I kept in contact with through facebook and who invited me to her bday party in Brugge. She showed me all around town on her bicycle, showed me where the best waffles were and then the next night her flatmate took me out for a drink at another random bar in town. After her bday party (the next day) three of us hung out in the town square all afternoon and people watched - I love Brugge...

- The funny Swedish/Scottish guy who coped with me dragging him all over town in Edinburgh and took me to a ceilidh (said kay - lee) which was just fun - like folk dancing at school

- The very cool Edinburgh crew who I introduced my friends who had been in Edinburgh all of a week too, and after I left they partied with for 4 months.

- And finally - the girl I met in toronto over summer who kindly let me stay in her front room for an entire month over christmas and new years in Vancouver with no payment except some afghan biscuits and walking her dog for her!

So yeah, there have been some weird times (the guy in Barcelona who didn't talk to us much, the guy in Prague who ditched me in town then tried to make up for it with drunken standing TOO close and wanting hugs, the girl in Paris who I didn't see for the last 2 days I was STAYING IN HER APARTMENT), the good far overshadows the weird.

And I love it.

Whenever people say - what if something goes wrong? I say - firstly, things can go wrong in hostels, and secondly - I'm a grown up, I have a credit card. If it's shite, i'll just walk out, go to the nearest hotel and get a room.

Honour Roll Call (last post, going home tomorrow!)

Hey everyone

So, tomorrow I leave Canadia for the final time this trip. After 6
weeks in Vancouver I am totally ready to go home. I think Vancouver
was a good way of getting ready to go home, it's smaller than either
Toronto or London (where I came from) but it's still new and different
so it was a good stepping stone on my way to home! This last 6 weeks I
have watched it try to snow about 4 times in Vancouver, gone up to
Quadra Island with my family for Christmas, hung out with CS people a
couple of times, gone down to Seattle to buy me a new (pretty, cool,
shiney) computer, gone to Whistler and seen lots and lots of snow,
gone snowboarding (-remembered how much I suck) in Whistler, gone to
Calgary to see Kerra, partied with cool people in Calgary, hung out
with lots of family in the last 2 weeks in Vancouver, including
sorting out 5 boxes of christmas ornaments and a box of stuffed dogs
at my great grandparents old house.

Anyway, as my 9 months of travelling draws to a close, I am looking
forward - for jobs and flats in Wellington ( if anyone knows of any,
let me know), and looking back to all the cool people I met over the
last year. So, (in place order from when I first arrived in Canada) -
I would like to thank the following people:

Thanks to...

Toronto:
- Shineen and family and friends, Ariqa, Sameen, Shezeen, Kristen,
Lindsay, Angie, and the boys with the awesome fireworks display, -
Tyler, Woody, Troy, and Julie - I met at the cottage over Canada Day.
- The Toronto CS Crew: Mark, Gary, Sofia, Ray, Jeanne, Maria, Megan,
Austin, Anwar / Bex and Gulliaume, Amy and everyone else I missed!

St John's: Edson, Eric, Holly, Nabil, Alicia, and the cool crew in Newfoundland, you guys were great!

Montreal: - Kim and Andres (CS people) for being cool and looking after me!

Boston:
- Grant and Halvar - it was good to catch up!, Eli, Brad and Claudine
for touring around with me, Kate for a fun party, the Boston CS crew
and NYC CS crew for a fun party weekend. Jacqui and Mark (again) for
braving the beach in Boston!

NYC: - Bastien for letting me stay, Neil, Connie, Seth, Viktor,
Nicky, Kristen, Kristina, Chris and all that braved the unitard pub
crawl, I had an awesome time in New York, come visit me in NZ!

London take1: - Julia and her flatmate who so graciously let me sleep
all afternoon at their house

Spain: - Mike and Sue, Mark, Lysette, Simon, Chris, Misha, Georgie,
Mick, Mon and Jack and the other 20,000 people that made Requena and
Tomatina memorable!

Toulouse: -Thanks Taz, Julien and Dennis, plus all the crazy rugby
players we laughed with at the opening game of the world cup

Marseilles and Nice: -Guillaume, who we love for taking us to the
black seeds and to Nice!

Switzerland: Simon G for letting me sleep and watch tv for 3 days
until I recovered from hostels, and Joe Trodahl for buying us lunch!

Austria: Michael, Abe, Spyro and all other people I met in Vienna and
esp those that played soccer with us at midnight my last night.

Hungary: The lovely Dora for an awesome night baking and drinking
wine, Annie and Eduardo for a cool day sightseeing and hanging out,
the Budapest CS crew for a good night at the pub, and Jacob for
letting em watch Heroes. Which, btw, is the only episode I have seen
this season!

Poland: Nick, Jordan, Dave and the crazy Canadians, Dave the English
man - for good nights out. Jade and Hannah and the crazy Americans for
joining me on the Aushwitz tour.

Prague: The two girls who chatted to me on the crowded train, and
Kasha who let me stay on the couch in her dorm when I lost where I was
SUPPOSED to sleep.

Munich: Graham, Andreas and Rian for getting me drunk and feeding me
copious amounts of meat at Oktoberfest, the Englischers, Dave, Tom,
Eden,and Adam for letting us sit with them and for torturing us
mercilessly when they beat Aussie and we got kicked out of the world
cup!

Hagen: Christina for taking me out even when I was exhausted from
Oktoberfest, and her funny English department comrades for looking at
me funny when they found out I didn't speak German

Berlin: the lovely Gesa for lending me books to read and making me eat Currywurst

Copenhagen: Thomas for taking me in last minute, and letting me cook!

Bruges: Sibyl and Clara: one is an excellent host, the other for
laughing with me and perving at 17 year olds

Amsterdam: Mel for touring museums with me, Jenna and Jo for the
parties and the Aussie guys for a good night (even if you did
disappear in the middle of the night to do shots with the hot barman
and left me all alone! - send me photos!)

Paris: Actually, my host in Paris ditched me my last night, and still
owes me €10 so no thanks to her!

London Take 2: Bex, her awesomely odd flatmates, Tyler for giving me a
big hug when arrived, then proceeding to tell me I looked young, had
nice skin and no wrinkles, and then taking me to all you can eat Hell
(what more can you want in a man? ;) ), Leonard for going out for 'one
drink' and getting me trashed, Simon and Anneke for the same thing the
next night - fun party guys!

Belfast: Sheree and Marty for taking good care of me and taking me to
the Giant's causeway, pity it was sooo cold!

Edinburgh: Rob and his ultra cool flatmates for cooking me food with
no mushrooms and taking me dancing, Hayley and Nick for joining in,
coming to crazy CS things and doing tours with me

Manchester: Penny and Caro for letting me be sick on their couch for a week
Coventry: Paul and Jane for looking after me for the weekend:

London take 3: Bex and all her kiwi friends for the dinners, drinks,
shows and shopping, Leonard, Warren and friends for good nights out
and good drinks and good company,

Vancouver: Rayna and Garry for all the dinners, letting me stay on the
couch for a MONTH, Fi and Micah for looking after my suitcase, Simon for
taking me out, The CS Vancouver crew for some fun nights out, Doug,
Lorraine, Mum, Marg, Robyn, Maureen, Leo, Margaret, Shane, Melissa,
Marie, Mike and all my other family for being so nice, entertaining me
with unpacking, dinners, lunches and letting me stay at Aunt
Kathleen's for two weeks. And finally - to Tony, for listening to me
moan about Rogers and how they charge you heaps per minute and I ran
out of money - until he run out of money. Umm sorry!! Go Fido, I hate
Rogers.

So yeah, that's my roll of thank yous. If you have someone's email
address that I mentioned but don't have their address, please forward
this to them or send me their address. If you didn't get mentioned,
feel free to write me back and yell at me.

I will email everyone with my new phone number when I get one in New
Zealand. I hope you can all keep in touch, call me, text me, email me
and come visit!