Couchsurfing

Story, photos by Rachel Bardin

Couchsurfing is the antithesis of the “don’t talk to strangers” mentality. It promotes not only talking to strangers, but inviting them in to stay at your house.

It’s an unconventional way of traveling that leads participants off the beaten path of hotels and visitor information centers. It is a network of travelers and hosts all over the world. The motto is “Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a Time.”

People are often skeptical of the idea. Explaining to my family that I would be staying with people I hadn’t met before during my recent travels in Hawaii wasn’t easy. Many friends think letting people stay in my house is pretty risky. Despite this, there is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the best ways to travel and meet some of the greatest people in the world.

I started couchsurfing last March. I had heard of couchsurfing.org (it was featured in Drift’s Browser section) but didn’t know much about it. My roommate was a member though she hadn’t had surfed or hosted yet. A few days later after I signed up, we had a request.

Jake was our first couch surfer and he set a high standard. He was a very experienced traveler and had a mind-boggling number of excellent references. Jake was a talented photographer from Brooklyn, so I learned a lot from him. He also appreciated an adventure. I took him on a really long bike ride all around town on an incredibly windy day and we survived a sandstorm together at Porpoise Point.

Couchsurfing.org looks a bit like typical social networking layouts. Each user fills out a profile, they can add friends, and there is a reference section. The reference system is one of the best security measures. People can write how they know you, how well they know you, and what their experience with you has been like. According to the site, 99.812 percent of experiences are positive. References cannot be deleted by the user so if someone writes that John Doe is a creep, it’s there to stay. In the end, your safety is a matter of your own judgment, but the site does provide some helpful features.

In May, I got to experience being a couchsurfer on my trip to Hawaii. I sent out many requests, and most went either unanswered or rejected because people were too busy.

I was feeling a little discouraged when finally, I heard back from Raf. I wasn’t sure what to expect from him just looking at his profile. It said he was into Scandanavian metal and surfing. At least we had one thing in common (no, not the metal).

Raf ended up being like a long lost friend. This guy was incredibly generous and treated me like family: offering me rides, taking me surfing, loaning me surfboards, buying me my first plate lunch and giving me a lei when I departed. I even gained a new respect for metal because of the way he compared it to classical music.

My other Hawaiian couchsurfing adventures led me to a high rise apartment with a young professor and psychologist who had a cat named Pussy. I also stayed on a farm on Kauai with a dreadlocked Sicilian chef/tattoo artist/member of an infamous mafia family in a solar and wind-powered home complete with composting toilet.

I often get asked if you have to let people stay in your house. No, you do not. You can always say no to requests. In fact, you don’t ever have to offer your couch.

My last couchsurfing experience didn’t involve any couches. I had dinner at O.C. Whites with a really cool couple from South Florida. They just wanted to meet someone and hear about some things to check out in the area.

Couchsurfing isn’t for everyone but if it interests you, lots of information can be found at wiki.couchsurfing.org. If you like meeting new people, having an excuse to do touristy things or explore, or even if you plan on surfing someone else’s couch one day, hosting is good for the soul.

When it comes to traveling, staying with locals will give you a completely different view of wherever you are. It helps a traveler connect with the place and gives insight into the culture. And did I mention that it’s free?