Enrico Lombardo and I pose with his recent Couchsurfers from Asia.
COUCHSURFING.
A very interesting concept and bonus points for a catchy name! It is actually a very simple and intelligent concept that is sweeping Europe and beyond: a WORLDWIDE network of people who love to travel and are not looking for luxurious accommodations... INSTEAD joining a system that allows people to "crash" (or sleep) on your couch as long as you have the opportunity to crash in similar manner on theirs. BRILLIANT!!!
There is no money involved - people do not 'rent' your couch... you simply register on the website (shockingly: www.couchsurfing.com), search for couches where you are headed, and contact them directly. END OF STORY!!! (And at the time of writing, over half a million "surfers" are signed up, as per website statistics. Unfortunately, accurate numbers on "missing persons" was not included. Official Stats:
| CouchSurfers | 583,091 |
| Successful Surf or Host Experiences | 471,075 |
| Friendships Created | 602,481 |
| Positive Experiences | 961,769 |
| Countries Represented | 230 |
| Cities Represented | 42,493 |
The whole reason I was introduced to this concept is that Enrico Lombardo, our brilliant tailback, is a card-carrying member and currently is hosting 3 young Asian "surfers." I spoke with them at length last night - Ryan, Lydia, and Terry - and found out all the unique details of traveling in this manner. (They are actually Hong Kong exchange students studying in Holland and have visited 15 countries in this Manner!)
How we met was actually funny unto itself, as I had been chatting with them for about 10 minutes before one of them commented, "You have terrific English skills!" To which I replied, "Possibly because I AM AMERICAN!" They almost fell over laughing (and out of embarrassment!).
It is just another story of people being united by the spirit of travel and adventure... and proof that no matter where you go (Asia, America, or Europe) people are essentially the same -- GOOD HEARTED!!!
Can't wait to try COUCHSURFING myself!!!
~ J. Twice
2 comments:
i can REALLY picture ur face while saying with some SARCASTIC NUANCES "Possibly cuz i'm american!"....
That made me SAC.
SIGN ME UP! I couchsurf a lot in my own home a lot, so I am pretty comfortable with the idea already...
:)
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