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.