Hi I noticed a post on your tumblr about couch surfing and wanted to know your opinion on it and how safe it is for females travelling alone. I am asking as I planning on travelling alone and save money on accommodation by giving couch surfing a try. I would really appreciate your reply. Thank you!
Thanks for your question. When I was surfing westward to California from my native Illinois, I spent weeks before my 15 day solo road trip planning what sites I would see and what people I would stay with. I used couch surfing, because it was a free option for me. I spent a little over $300 bucks on gas. So not paying for a hotel/motel saved me a lot of $$$! I was concerned too, being a young female traveling alone. As I have come to learn CS verifies and I think, even background checks hosts. Or at least those with a little green check or yellow star. I mostly stayed with people who had a lot of reviews and had hosted a variety of people. I even had a few phones calls with people I wanted to stay with. Because they were interested on how long I would be there and things like that. Something not always a short e-mail can convey. Back when I used CS, your hosts address was not readily available, you had to ask. And that part always seems scary. I Googled that address right away! Was it even real? I looked through their photos. Did they look nice? Seem nice? Seem like they would want to host me? I surfed with a variety of genders and ages! Everyone from Scott that went to Wyoming University to Rob in North Platte Nebraska to a 50 year old sufi goofy lady named Dot Campbell in Blue Lake, California.
Above all, you need to feel comfortable.
I stayed in a warehouse, on tiny couches, on a vibrating bed all to myself. I had hosts leave me their keys to their homes and just leave...me...alone. Because they have lives too! It’s hard to get someone to drop everything your entire length of stay to “show you around.” I’ve meet a host at a bar and then followed them, an hour away back to their house. (He was in a band performing the night I had come, it was last minute for him and he felt bad, but . . .being independent and flexible is a must. Then I’ve had hosts who just want to show me this and that and buy me dinner and I was so appreciative, but then again, it was like, I just want to explore this place through my own time.
I’ve backed out of staying somewhere. Not because I felt uncomfortable, but because I was so close to my destination that I just wanted to get there. And then I would be one place and I wanted another day rest, so asking an extension was also a tad scary, but no one ever said no.
I think I made a good surfer because at least one night while I stayed with them, I would make dinner, as a show of thanks. It was simple, cheap dish money wise, but it was a great conversation and I always left an index card with the recipe for next time!
Um, I think I’ve rambled long enough. But please shoot me another message, if you would like me to go into depth about anything!
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