#couchsurfing.org

[kat2m]

This is a video made by TravelinPIxels commemorating our time in Charleston. If you are unfamiliar with Couch Surfing, please check out the video. It is a great community, full of wonderful people.

[meg-maybe]

Advice needed--please pass it on!

Has anyone had any experience in WWOOF, couchsurfing.com, mercy ministries, or any similar programs? Please visit my ask box! much love xoxo

[shopping-and-fucking]

Looking for a new housemate, and my housing ad specifies: "We're a welcoming, quiet, no parties kinda home and seek someone who may be queer, trans, intersex, outside the binary, a sex worker, preferably a non-smoker, easy-going, charming, and open minded. Racism, sexism, trans phobia, trans misogyny, whorephobia, neuronormativity, fatphobia, sexually predatory behaviour etc will not be tolerated in the house, and this rule doesn't just apply to housemates, but also to our guests." Fuckfaces reply: "I ve been traveling for years, through all continents, and yes, I became (aware about) racist, sexist, homophobic, a bit of misogyny (I don’t know how to say) I don’t really like fat pps and I’m a great sex predator! The only think I can’t understand is why is there so many VEGIES and VEGAN pps here??? And WTF are all these Gay friendly pps living for?? So if you are gay, please don't text me back, just ignore me!"

If anyone would like to firestorm this dickhead, and is on couchsurfing.org, please let me know and I will pass details.

Kthx fuck this bro to hell

[awesome-nz]

Endlich melde ich mich mal wieder!

Nach einiger Zeit hört ihr mal wieder was von mir… Nachdem ich in Auckland war um einiges Bürokratisches hinter mich zu bringen ging es mit einer Bekanntschaft aus dem Northland Trip (die ich zufällig in Auckland wieder traf) zur Coromandel Halbinsel wo wir 4 tolle Tage verbrachten und selbst bei schlechtem Wetter Strände genießen konnten. Ein Highlight verpassten wir leider weil wir zur falschen Zeit kamen, den Hot Water Beach. Dort kann man sich bei Ebbe ein Loch am Meer graben bis zum Grundwasser, das durch die geothermale Aktivität dort so heiß ist das man sich den Hintern verbrennt, bis eine Welle kommt, die einen wieder abkühlt. Naja… wir kamen zur Flut. Danach ging es dann aber zur Cathedral Cove einer wunderschönen Bucht, in der alleine durch die Natur ein Tunnel in den Fels gespült wurde (siehe Bilder). Danach ging es an der Ostküste von Coromandel Richtung Nordwesten, nach Coromandel Town in der wir eine Nacht verbrachten und am nächsten Tag zu einem spirituellen Rückzugsort aufbrachen. Eine australische Hitchhikerin, die wir den Tag zuvor mitnahmen arbeitet nämlich dort und nam uns auch gleich auf eine kleine Wandertour zum Gipfel des Berges mit. Dort gab es einen in den Stein eingearbeiteten Kristall, der uns wieder mit “Energie” für den Abstieg und die weitere Reise versorgen sollte. Unten umarmten wir dann auch noch den “Energy Tree” und nach der Yoga Session kann eigentlich echt nichts mehr schief gehen. Ein echt interessantes Erlebnis! Frisch gestärkt ging es dann nach einem Halt im, südwestlich gelegenen, Thames nach Tauranga. In dieser, relativ großen, Stadt verbrachte ich die letzten Tage in einer Familie, die meine derweilige Reisepartnerin durch die Couchsurfing Website kennengelernt hat. Nun mache ich mich auf den Weg in das nahegelegene Surferstädtchen Mount Maunganui und mach mich auf die Suche nach Arbeit. Ihr hört von mir ;) DANIEL

[peachsss]

I think I'm going to do the couch surfing thing.

Does anyone have an opinion on this? Like what are your experiences with it?

[krazzykitty-blog]

I hope this will come in handy for future holidays when I'm kicked out of my dorm room (I'm looking at you, Penn State Housing).

[lamb-on-the-lam]

Random Travel Advice: Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is undoubtedly one of my favorite organizations around.  To date, I have stayed with 123 surfers in 83 cities across the world, including 19 countries and 13 states.  I have hosted 49 travelers, mostly from US, but also from Germany, Ireland, Austria and Canada.  It has allowed me to connect with local cultures far more deeply than a hostel ever could.

For those unfamiliar with Couchsurfing, it is an international hospitality exchange program designed to put people in communication with friendly folks around the world.  The basic idea is that you can go almost anywhere in the world and stay with locals for three or four nights free of charge.  If you have a couch (or bed, floor, closet space, air mattress...) to offer, or at any point in the future could possibly foresee yourself having one to offer, you should be able to find like-minded individuals across the world willing to host you.  It is, of course, much more than free lodging.

Immediately, safety comes to mind.  "Aren't you afraid that ..." is the first question skeptics ask me when I tell them I'm going to stay in a stranger's home or that I'm going to welcome a stranger in.  There are practical concerns.  Yes, some people take advantage of other people.  Yes, there are unsavory folk in Couchsurfing, but far fewer than you would imagine and, given a bit of sense, mostly avoidable.  A few notes about safety:

Filter. It is my opinion that Couchsurfing filters out most of the unsavory sort.  By joining, you are stating that you believe in the spirit of the organization and generally choose to trust people.

Communication.  Nothing is automatic.  When a surfer is looking for a place to rest, they send a message to a potential host.  It is then ENTIRELY the host's responsibility to reply with whatever information they feel comfortable sharing.  They can reply however they'd like.  Your address is not published, so nobody is going to just "show up."  As a host, you can insist on meeting at a public location.

References.  The whole thing is built upon the reference system.  Once you connect with somebody who has a profile, you can leave them a reference: Positive, Neutral or Negative with a brief written note about the experience.  The site does makes a distinction about how the referencer knows the individual.  Read through them and if somebody has negative references that make you uncomfortable...avoid them.  Either don't request to stay with them or don't agree to host.

Vouches.  "Vouching" is one step further than references.  You can only vouch for somebody once you've been vouched for at least three times.  It is a statement that you truly trust this person.  Multiple vouches implies that somebody is invested enough in the organization to have connected with enough people on a deep enough level.

Verification.  This is a totally optional step.  Some members choose to verify their name and address with the organization.  All this is is a statement that your name is, indeed, listed correctly.  CS will mail a postcard to your address with a code.  Once you enter that code, your address is locked.  This gives potential hosts/surfers a third-party verification that you are who you say you are.

The next biggest hesitation I hear is from the single-woman-traveler.  Sure, it's safe for a guy traveling, but for a woman by herself?  I grant that there are risks that I, as a male, don't necessarily have to consider in my daily life.  I am privileged to not worry about getting assaulted walking home from work and that I have a much easier time feeling comfortable in strange places and homes.  I do not mean to downplay the dynamics in the slightest.  This disparity is unacceptable and it is all of our responsibility to fix it.  That said, there are practical ways to make travel and couchsurfing safer for the single-woman-traveler or host:

Female CSers - only host/surf with women.  While this might annoy me (as a guy traveling) that I can't find a host, it's not my concern.  If you feel more comfortable with hosting or surfing with men, then don't.  Simple as that.  Once you gain experience in CS and the community, you can always change your policy later if you decide you feel comfortable.

Only host/surf with couples.  Couples will "less likely" be after something other than meeting people and can make you feel safer from start.

Take a look at the references.  If all (or a large percentage) of a guy's references are from women, even if all positive, it's likely he's after something.  This may be an oversimplification, but chances are, he's a creep.  Also, do the positive references not sound completely positive?

Read the profile carefully.  Read the "description of couch" line by line.  Sometimes, people host in the same room they sleep in, sometimes it's a guest bedroom.  As long as you know ahead of time, you can make a judgement call.

If you decided to stay with somebody without feeling 100% certain, always have a backup plan.  Be prepared to leave and go somewhere else.  Look up the "emergency couch request" group of the nearest city, nearby hostels, hotels, police stations...etc.

Men (and women, but mostly men) - CS is NOT a dating site.  It is not a spot to meet women (or men) to have sex with.  Hitting on your guests devalues the organization and makes it less safe...especially for women.  That said, while I've never met a partner through CS, the last three women I've dated have been couchsurfers.  Connection does happen through CS.  It's important, however, that EVERYTHING is mutual and you damn well better be sure it is before making somebody feel unsafe.

If you'd like to hear about surfing experiences, there are many blogs (including this one) that talk at length about travel and couchsurfing.  Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about safety, tips, hosts, positive experiences...etc.  I believe strongly in the spirit of CS.  Through all 172 interactions hosting and surfing, I've never had a negative experience and some of those connections have been my favorite people in the world. 

For all the shortcomings of the website and structural changes, I am encouraged that a multimillion person organization built on the central assumption that people deserve trust can continue to exist.

[applethecrumble]

Disc Jockey and an Artist Traveler

Over Christmas I hosted 2 adorable and remarkable Polish couple named Marcin and Dorota. The guys in yellow is Tobias from Sweden.

I've had a grand time hosting them. They have plans of travelling for almost 6 months as  I remember! Marcin is such a darling and had helped me in cooking. Dorota had been quiet but surely enjoyed her company.

We spend christmas dinner with other people I was hosting and also had fun going around Manila with them! Also had fun introducing the local Rhum "Tanduay" and the beers!! :)

When they left. I was at work but they left me a message and post card! How sweet right? :)

Please follow their blog at:

http://travelnauci.blogspot.com/2013/01/odkrylismy-sto-wysp.html