world reviewer
So, What Exactly Is Couchsurfing?
Guest post by Andi Perullo
Q: So, what exactly is Couchsurfing?
A: Let me begin my answer by quoting Couchsurfing’s mission statement, as I believe it succinctly sums the project up:
Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a Time.
Sadly, many people mistake this awesome travel community for simply free accommodation, when really the goal is to create an international network of friends with the common interest being the love of exploration. Yes, one of the many benefits of Couchsurfing is that it makes travel more affordable, but the most meaningful benefit is that connection you make with your host/s or with other Couchsurfers; the cultural exchange that takes place is priceless. And the hope is that this cultural exchange will in some way make the world a better place through:
“rais[ing] the collective consciousness, spread[ing] tolerance, and facilitat[ing] cultural understanding (1).”
One of the biggest misconceptions about Couchsurfing is that it is only a hospitably exchange. This could not be further from the truth. There are approximately 1.4 million members worldwide (even in places such as Antarctica!). Thus, you will find that most cities have a Couchsurfing group. These groups have regular local events that you can participate in and are wonderful opportunities to share your travel stories and to make new friends and potential travel partners. Plus, it is a great way to get your travel fix when you are not able to travel.
Continue reading on gobackpacking,com
Comments
There are no posts. Why not be the first to have your say?
Add a comment
About this author
David Lee
In late 2007, I quit my job and left the comfortable life in the USA for the open road with nothing but a 20-pound backpack, a …
Also by this author
Destination Asia: Packing Ultra-Light
“You’re an idiot,” was the exact reaction I got from my mom when I told her that I would be packing ultra-light.
‘Round the World Trip: As You Like It
A ’round the world trip in 29 days? Blasphemy, I hear long term travelers shouting from the rooftops after reading Maryann Haggerty’s Washington Post article, Around the World in Four Easy Lessons.
Briefcase To Backpack: Encouraging Career Breaks
Whether you’re traveling through South America or Southeast Asia, you’re likely to meet far more Europeans and Australians than you do Americans. The concept of long term travel has yet to go mainstream in the United States, and thus career-related resour
Hot, Hot Varanasi
I was beyond pleased to see my autorickshaw driver awaiting me at 4:20am outside the Karma Temple’s gate. I shook his hand, he started the motor, and we were off in the dim pre-dawn light. I realized my decision to take the early train to Varanasi meant a
Latest travel blog posts
Twenty-Four Days of Zen
I have never felt as vibrantly, emphatically alive as I did on February 27th, over a lunch of baby corn with chicken and rice.
Step back in time at the Dennis Severs’ house in London
As I arrived at the Dennis Severs’ house in the Shoreditch neighbourhood of London, there was not much to distinguish it from the others in this Georgian Terrace, surrounded by modern office blocks. One of the guardians of the house was waiting just outsi
A seafood feast at Limski Kanal - in Istria, Croatia
On our recent visit to Istria, the northernmost province of Croatia we tore ourselves away from the sunlounger to explore the coastline at Limski Kanal (also known as Lim Fjord or Limski Channel). This deep sea channel cuts inland with steeply sloping woo
Cycling by the sea in Istria - in Croatia
When we visited Istria in Croatia this summer, the joys of lying by the pool were wearing abit thin after the first day (for me anyway) so we decided to hire some bikes.
