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Couch Surfing

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March 24, 2008

Have you ever heard of couch surfing? It’s basically the coolest idea ever. Basically, it’s a website dedicated to hooking up travelers with people who want to host them, be it, show them around the city, meet up for coffee or even offer them their couch for a night or two.

I first heard about the website on Dave’s round the world traveling blog. He’s been traveling now for almost four months and he’s spent some time couch surfing. For a long time I was reading things like, “I surfed someone’s couch last night,” and I was like what the heck is that?!? When I finally checked out the Couch Surfing website and figured out what it was I was ecstatic. What a genius idea!

I signed up right away and within a few days someone had emailed asking if she could couch surf with us for two days. I looked at her profile and saw that she had received nothing but positive reviews from other people on the site so we decided to say yes. Why not?

She arrived yesterday and just spent one night with us. Here from Panama to study law en la Universidad de Chile, she just wanted a place to stay while she looked for some kind of student residence where she could live permanently. She found one today!

Before she came I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Do people just come for a free place to stay? Or are they actually excited to meet you? Xili was excited to meet us and we felt the same. She was awesome and sweet, and best of all, she didn’t murder us in our sleep with an axe or anything like that.

I’m thrilled that we had a good first experience hosting someone and I can’t wait to receive more people on our couch! In two more weeks a German girl and a guy from New Zealand are coming. They’re traveling together so I told them if they want to squish together it’s up to them, although I really have no idea how they are going to fit!

Really, there are a few reasons why I wanted to do this. I love to meet people. I really enjoy showing people around Santiago. Those who have never been before are always so thrilled by everything, and their amazement and wonder helps me from being so jaded towards this city. The biggest reason though, is that every time S. and I have ever traveled anywhere, people have been great to us. Strangers helped us along the way, and people that we just met treated us like old friends. I know when we take our big trip around the world that kindness will just continue. So I’m sort of like paying it back right now, even though we haven’t left yet :)

16 Comments

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16 Comments »

  1. Cool! Can I surf your couch when I come to Chile?

    But seriously, I’m contemplating a trip there sometime in the next year, assuming I get my house move all sorted out at some point and then actually have money available. I have friends to stay with in Santiago and Valpo, but I’d love to hang out with you ;-)

    Comment by Lisa B. — March 25, 2008 @ 4:10 am

  2. I’d heard of couch surfing a while ago (one of my brothers had told me about it)…. I find the idea really cool and would definetly sign up too… if hubby wasn’t such a worryrat (I say that in a good way)… he’s the responsible and reasonable one in our couple… I’m the impuslive and irrational one ;)

    But your recent post might just help me convince him!! Thanks! :D

    Fned.

    P.S. And you just KNOW we’re crashing on your couch if we ever get to go to Santiago!!! :)

    Comment by Fned — March 25, 2008 @ 5:01 am

  3. sounds like a really fun experience…on both ends (for the crasher and the crashee). i’m not sure that my wife would go for it, though…she’s a bit on the “but they’ll murder me with an axe while I’m sleeping” side of the game. =\

    let us know how the other crashers turn out!

    Comment by rik — March 25, 2008 @ 7:41 am

  4. Sounds like fun. I’d sign up, but Matt wouldn’t go along with the idea. Keep us updated on how it goes. I can live vicariously through you. :)

    Comment by Ordinary Girl — March 25, 2008 @ 7:48 am

  5. Oh, it sounds like a great idea! I would definitely show people around here, but as a single “they’ll murder me in my bed” woman, I am not sure about the couch part. Good for you for putting people up.

    Comment by Reb — March 25, 2008 @ 8:58 am

  6. How cool are you! What fun.

    Comment by Mexico Way — March 25, 2008 @ 10:35 am

  7. I so reserve a spot on that couch…I am also reserving my couch for you and S. You want to see exciting Oregon on your world traveling, right?
    Every time I meet someone who travels for the purpose of seeing the world and as well as the people who live in it, they seem to be really humble and genuinely sweet people who just want to soak up as much of the world as they can. I think you will meet some really great people from all over that way…sort of a taste of what is to come when you guys travel.

    Comment by Rachel — March 25, 2008 @ 10:56 am

  8. Glad you didnt get axed in your sleep! Couch surfing is a wickedly cool idea. I too love a random guest, its just as good as having someone you know stay really, cause there are no expectations… with friends you bend over backwards but with randoms its whatever feels right at the time and its always more than they expect so everyone is happy!

    Comment by Kristy — March 25, 2008 @ 11:24 am

  9. That is really a neat idea! I am so happy that your first experience turned out so positive…and what a fun way to meet people you may actually want to stay in contact with…and you’re right you know, you give what you want to receive, and it always seems to come back twofold!!

    Comment by Chickenbells — March 25, 2008 @ 11:32 am

  10. There is second huge hospitality exchange network like Couchsurfing – a few years older, and more European: Hospitality Club (http://www.hospitalityclub.org). I’ve used it on my travels to stay with friendly people everwhere and cannot recommend it highly enough.

    Comment by Kristin Jensen — March 25, 2008 @ 5:02 pm

  11. I so wish that 25 – 30 years ago when I was in more of a position to travel, that there had been some options like this . . I would have signed up both ways for sure; as the crasher and the crashee.

    I think the term you are looking for is “Pay it Forward.” Isn’t that a movie title or something?

    Comment by Ritamae — March 25, 2008 @ 6:18 pm

  12. Watch out for cannibals with crazy sex lives …

    But in all seriousness, can I call a spot on your couch when you know some hot Australian dude is coming? I’m sure my hubby won’t mind … what happens in Santiago stays in Santiago, right?

    Also, I get the couch if my time there coincides with some other joker. I’m just sayin’.

    Comment by kgseymour — March 26, 2008 @ 7:37 pm

  13. oooo, that sounds like fun!! I’m also glad to hear that you were not murdered in your sleep, perhaps sleeping with the door locked, and a gun under the pillow helps. Ha, just kdiding, I’m so impressed that you were gutsy enough to sign up in the first place, it takes alot of faith, and a fairly comfortable couch!!

    Comment by Marta — March 27, 2008 @ 10:42 am

  14. What an interesting program. I’ve never heard of it before. You are sure to meet a lot of cool people.

    The best part of our travels besides the amazing sights have always been the people.

    Unfortunately Brazil doesn’t win the prize for building comfortable furniture so it would almost be mean to offer someone our couch for even a night. Ha, ha! Looking forward to reading more about your guests!

    Comment by Lori - Blondie in Brazil — March 27, 2008 @ 6:18 pm

  15. This is pretty cool. I would have loved to do it when we were living just outside NYC. That’s a fun town to show off. I dunno about doing it in Playa, I think you might run the risk of people couch surfing for like a year and a half….

    Comment by mexpat — March 29, 2008 @ 12:04 pm

  16. Greeeeat idea!
    And hey, maybe you could work in some tourist thing… no idea what, guide or something… just and idea. :)
    I love the concept of coach surfing, Ill check the site out, but I guess no one is interested to come to small cities… lets see…

    Comment by Irantzu — March 30, 2008 @ 8:26 pm

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