1) Not everyone wants to secretly stab you in the middle of the night.
2) Whether rich or poor, Christian or Atheistic, people have a unique perspective that is valuable.
3) Couchsurfers want to help you, even when you don’t want to help yourself. And it’s okay to accept that help.
4) Some hosts have cat hair covering their bathroom towels, and it can cover your face if you don’t think fast enough…:(
5) If you use your better judgement, but still allow yourself to trust others, you will find a gold mine of happiness.
6) Hosts on couch-surfing may in fact try to seduce you, in which case you should pepper spray da fuck outta there.
7) Some of the kindest people are those who I haven’t even met yet; Always keep an open mind for letting others see who you really are.
8) If you show people who you really are, then they have the opportunity to accept who you really are.
9) That moment when you’re confronted with a point of view that frightens you, try to replace that fear with peaceful acceptance; that point of view has been reaffirmed several times over- and the person you’re in disagreement with is just as convinced they’re right as you are convinced that you’re right.
10) Take risks, but try not to die
#10 was funny, but not really.
Haha yaaa I didn’t think twice about that one
I agree with Olga. You don’t seem to want to making couch surfing look bad but your don’t seem to be denying the fact that it’s scary. I couldn’t couch surf. Too much paranoia.
It is scary. But I do believe it’s worth the risk 🙂
Cool Couch
#5, #8. Totally.
Totally!:)
It’s take a risk to save, and it’s your decision to do the right or wrong.
What great insight and inspiration with a touch of humor on #6 Thanks for this mostly inspirational piece.
Haha you’re welcome. Ya I kinda regret instilling sheer horror into all these bloggers !
I find this post to be very interesting. Would you be willing to share any of your couch surfing stories?
Haha yes I’d be happy to. I guess my first question would be, the good ones or the bad ones? I kept a journal with me while I couchsurfed, and I posted most of those entries early on in this blog. So I suppose you could take a look there. You know what, for my next blog post, I will write about an experience from couchsurfing. Why not 🙂
Cool peek into your world!
Thank you! 🙂
Couldn’t agree more with #9.
🙂 glad you can see its truth
Number 8 is my favorite. I took off the clothes of another and started wearing my skin about 10 years ago (I’m 46 almost 47). The only bad thing about the experience of discovering myself was that I wish I’d done it sooner. The people who keep saying it aren’t lying. Just be who you are and do what you do because that will make people fall in love with you.
I love what you have to say about this. So true! Better sooner than later I suppose 🙂
I’d rather repent in earnest then regret at leisure.
Very brave of you to go couch-surfing. Great list. Will pay special attention to no. 10 😉
hahaha 🙂
Number 5, so true.
🙂 glad you can relate
#7 is very important. And you’re right about the cat hair!
haha, have you had that unfortunate experience as well? not fun! 🙂
There’s nothing like trying to wipe the cat fur off of your wet skin. Makes you wonder why it ever came off the cat!
Haha 🙂
haha brilliant 🙂
sounds a bit like my couch surfing life..
ya!? haha I’m happy someone can confirm these lessons 🙂 Couchsurfing is really so awesome though, despite the risks. I loved your site. Glad I came across it!
🙂 thanks I love your site as well. Its breath of fresh air. I have felt really at ‘risk’ couchsurfing, just mostly some really eccentric characters.. haha
Lol I can definitely relate to that!
#10… nailed it!
Hi Kan 🙂 haha right?! Really sums up my life right there. Your blog is so awesome, looking forward to your posts!!
I find this encouraging. i’m a wanderlust (I really want to travel so baadly, but I haven’t been due to constraints and as a student, I havent got the means for it), but I probably would have a chance this year since I will be doing an exchange program in netherlands. I want to go around europe and had been considering options on how to stay for the night at some countries in a tight budget. I’ve been lookig into airbnb and hostels, but I havent been considering couchsurfing.
Wow cool, the Netherlands! Have fun! Couchsurfing or not, I’m sure it’ll be great.
Love #4 🙂 but do like #1 because it is about trust (or lack of paranoia)
Hahaha 🙂 ya, could be repressed paranoia lol
Hey thanks for the follow! I love this post about couch surfing, I’ve always been intrigued by it but am so nervous to do it because of the dying bit you addressed in #10!
Hi Jessica! Honestly, couchsurfing was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my entire life. The reason why #10 was never an issue is because I couchsurfed with people who had several references on the website, and who had fb accounts, no pipl red flags, etc…if you’ve never been on couchsurfing.com, the site is reference-based. Hosts leave comments on surfers pages, and vise versa…to ensure the person is cool and safe. Obviously, there’s a .000001 percent chance that, even if someone has 30 references and 100 friends or whatever, they might be sketchy. But as long as you’re smart about choosing someone who looks trustworthy….I mean, you’re good to go. That’s my opinion. If it makes you feel any better, I stayed with 6 guys and only 1 girl on my travels throughout the states. And not one bad thing happened. Every single guy I met was awesome and kind and an amazing human being. Some of the happiest memories I have are with those Couchsurfers, who I took the risk to meet. Amyways, I’ll stop talking your ear off. Couchsurfing or no couchsurfing, travel is fun. You’re very welcome for the follow! Hope to see you around WP 🙂
If you use your better judgement, but still allow yourself to trust others, you will find a gold mine of happiness. – What wonderful advice! I am going to quote you on my Proverbial Thursday (and quotes) Blog feature – I’ll credit you, if that is ok? Thanks so much for sharing this most useful information.
Haha thank you, you’re very sweet. yes that’s ok 🙂
Haha! Love this post. Very valuable lessons!
Thanks Jamie 🙂
I haven’t Couchsurfed in a while, but 95% of the time it went well and the remaining 5% was just awkward. Glad you had an overall good experience!
I can definitely confirm those percentages! There are always a few awkward moments. Haha.but yes, overall, amazing! Thank you 🙂 I’d love to hear some of your stories some time!
I can definitely confirm those percentages! There are always a few awkward moments. Haha.but yes, overall, amazing! Thank you 🙂 I’d love to hear some of your stories some time!
Thanks for your likes on my blog 😃 not sure if I will try couch surfing but you’re right about suspending judgement and being authentic with folk you can discover a lot of beauty in people and in yourself that way and get a much more loving picture of our humanity
Definitely 🙂 and you’re very welcome! 🙂