Surfing.

As most of you will know by now, I’m planning a trip around the world. I’m thinking of keeping this trip as low budget as possible by making use of couchsurfing. The idea is to find a place to spend the night with local people, take in local culture and save money.

So I subscribed to couchsurfing.org, and I had my first experience two weeks ago. I got contacted by a guy that was going on a weekend with other bikers, and their tour started about 10 km from where I live. He didn’t want to ride the 200 km from his home to the start of the tour on the day itself, and decided to spend the night at my place, on my couch.

I arranged for a mattress, and welcomed this total stranger in the late afternoon. We had a drink together, had dinner (just sandwiches, no big deal) at my place, and I must admit that I felt really comfortable with this situation. We had some small talk, learned about each other’s interests and jobs, and I didn’t get bored for one second.

I even felt comfortable enough to leave the house for my weekly game of squash, leaving this perfect stranger all alone in my apartment. Keys and laptop on the table, stereo and television within reach… I trusted the guy right away, and I never had a doubt in my mind about him being honest and fair.
I must admit that it felt a tad strange when I came home, and found this new face, sitting in his pajama’s in my chair. It brought a smile to my face, though.

We ended the night sharing a pizza, and I went to bed as he laid down on an old mattress.
The next morning, we had breakfast together, and he took off on his motorbike.
It was a whole new experience for me, and one that I want to repeat as soon as possible!

Couchsurfing is turning a missed train into an opportunity for a new adventure.