I get it. I’m young. I’m naïve. And I admit it… I’m too trusting. I understand why traveling alone and sleeping at strangers’ houses make my parents want to find a reason to have Europe deport me. And for the fear and anxiety I cause them, I truly am sorry. It really is not my intent, I swear. That being said, Couchsurfing is one of best thing that I have ever been a part of. If you are unaware of Couchsurfing it is a website where people offer floor space, a couch, a bed or an extra room for travelers to stay on/in. To the adventurous traveler this website makes complete sense and seems like a heaven sent. To the non-traveler Couchsurfing seems like a death trap.

Safety:First and foremost let’s talk about safety, as it is everyone’s biggest concern, and I totally understand why. There are countless dating website, craigslists, and hostel horror stories, so why on earth would I trust a website where strangers are offering their beds?!
Profile-First everyone must fill out a profile with pictures, information about themselves and info about the couch they are offering (if applicable). The profile asks questions such as “describe yourself, favorite music, books and movies, your personal philosophy, the type of people you enjoy, what you want to learn and to teach, your previous Couchsurfing experiences, and your travel experiences.
Verification- Now anyone can bullshit on their profile, pull up pictures of trusting looking people on the Internet, and convince the world they are a good person. However, users can also pay to be verified which I believe involves having something sent to your home address that you mail back, but I’m not fully sure as I have never paid to become verified.
Friends- Friends can also help to confirm that you are a real person with good intensions. If you have few friends on the website you can write how you know each other, how well you know each other, and a description of the other person.
References- Finally, the last safety feature, which I find to be most reliable, is the references. Whenever I look to stay with someone I also search his or her references. After you stay with someone or someone stays with you, you write references for each other, verifying you are real, pleasant, trustable people. If I see someone with 68 positive reviews from previous surfers all stating this or that person was helpful, chill, fun, clean, etc.….I feel a lot safer staying at this strangers house than staying in a hostel with a bunch of people I don’t know.Yes there are risks, there are always risk. I am never 100% sure the host I am staying with is not a crazy person, but I’m also never 100% sure the hotel receptionist that has keys to every single room is also not a crazy either. But I have been shown too many times that the majority of people are good people. I can’t live with the assumption that they all have the motive to kill me.

Meeting People: I understand that even with safety features some people still aren’t comfortable crashing on a strangers couch, fair enough. The website also has forums for travelers to ask questions about cities they are visiting such as “Can I sleep at the Munich airport? What’s the cheapest way to travel from Paris to Barcelona? Or where can I find donor kebab in this city?!”. In addition, you can join groups that meet for a beer, or a common interest such as skiing or photography. The Couchsurfing meet-ups are great ways to meet new friends, especially if you have recently moved to a new city or are looking for a group of open-minded, warm-hearted, happy people.

Hosting:After hearing about the website multiple times when I traveled Europe in 2010, I decided to join. I surfed with friends a few times in the US, but didn’t really get the full experience until I began to host. While I was leaving in Seattle in 2013, my roommates and I opened our couch to complete strangers. In the 6 months we were there we probably had 10 different guest stay with us, all of which were guys. Because we were letting random guys into our home, we always checked their references, and made sure they had a decent number of positive reviews. After confirming they seemed like safe guys, my roommate would usually arrange where to meet them or give them directions to our place. Because she had a bit more free time, she was able to walk around the city and help them out more than I was. However, at night I was able to talk and share stories and a few beers with them. I absolutely loved the experienced. Everyone we met was exceptionally kind and a lot of fun. From the comfort of my own home I was able to meet people from Canada, the US, Germany, Poland and India. Beer was bought and food was made for us, but above all I was able to meet caring, likeminded, beautiful people.

Surfing:Hosting was an excellent way to travel within the comfort of my own home, but nothing can top actually traveling the world. Since I have been in Spain, I have surfed in Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. I have meet people from all those countries plus, Russia, Australia, France, Holland, England, the US and South America, all through Couchsurfing. I have tasted so much of the world in such a small amount of time. Surfing is fantastic for countless reasons, but a few that stand out in my experiences include: learning about cultures, local knowledge, instant travel buddies, and incomparable hospitality.
Learning about Cultures- I have been exposed to countless languages, customs, foods, and drinking games. Couchsurfing differs from normal traveling because you get to see what really lies behind the hotel doors. Yes, any traveling is an experience but how much does your Best Western differ in Spain vs. the US? When you are Couchsurfing you get to see how the apartments are arranged, how people recycle, what time of day they wake up, what is a typical meal looks like, views on politics, how the toilets flush (seriously, I’ve flushed a toilet 6 different ways since I’ve been in Europe) …etc.
Local Knowledge- In addition, staying with a local helps a lot with finding cheap discounted tickets, knowing what days are better for going to a museum. They know when to take the metro, what bus companies have student discount and where to buy a train ticket and most importantly, they know what bars have happy hour. Many guidebooks try to find these local hot spots but locals are up-to-date and will likely go grab a beer with you.
Instant Travel Buddies- In addition to grabbing a beer, they will also likely show you around the city, go to a restaurant or take you to their friend’s party. I have had multiple hosts guide me around a city, point out hidden gems, go snowboarding with me, and of course a few drinks have been shared.
Incomparable Hospitality- But, by far, the best part of Couchsurfing is the surprising amount of kindness I have been shown, each and every time. I have been served delicious hot meals, given free drinks, offered warm showers, free rides, and helpful advice…by complete strangers. They owed me nothing. They went out of their way to make ME comfortable. They have met me at train stations when I’ve gotten lost, they have given me gifts, they have bought me food, and they offer their homes to a complete stranger…simply out of the kindness in their hearts.

I have “Cheers”ed in multiple languages, I have shared cheese fondue in France, I have gone skinny dipping in Spanish hot water thermals, I have drank Vodka the Russian way, I have partied in an abandoned museum in Italy, and a laundry room in Germany, I have boarded the Swiss Alps and Après-skied in Austria…all with couchsurfers. I have traveled. I have lived. I have experienced the world through Couchsurfing.
And if you can find no other reason to couchsurf….It’s FREE!