Surfing couches across the country
The mission of CouchSurfing is “A world where everyone can explore and create meaningful connections with the people and places they encounter,” according to their website. Students from USU, and people around the world, are making that happen one couch at a time.
According to CouchSurfing.org, there are currently 2,683,328 couch surfers around the world in 246 countries with 99.83 percent positive ratings. It is a non-profit organization started in 2004.
“Hosts” are those members who open up their homes to “surfers.” Even if hosts don’t have a place for them to sleep, they can still offer things like a warm shower or meal.
CouchSurfers is able to stay as a non-profit through donations and an optional verification process members can go through. It costs $25, and the website will verify the address listed and do background checks.
Natalie and Chris Curtis, seniors at USU, experienced couch surfing for the first time in December, and said seeing a member who is verified increases trust. Natalie said some hosts won’t take someone if they haven’t been verified.
Natalie said she was apprehensive at first about the process, but the website’s social networking set-up made it easier to get involved.
If someone is interested in couch surfing, they fill out a profile online. The profile asks questions about lifestyle, interests and countries visited. Natalie said the profiles make it easier to pick a host because you get to know a little bit about them.
She said once someone has an account, they get other couch surfers they have met to write reviews about them so people know they are legitimate. She said the more reviews someone has, the better. They were turned away from a few hosts because it was their first time so they didn’t have any reviews.
Chris said once he read the reviews and comments on other people’s profiles, he felt better about the idea.
“Some had so many comments and reviews about them and not all those people could make that stuff up so we decided it would be a good thing to do,” he said.
Ted Allman, Natalie and Chris’ host, said couch surfing is a much safer way to meet people in comparison. He said people who someone would meet everyday don’t come with background checks or references.
“Unless you are a hermit, the people you meet every day pose a greater risk than any couch surfer. Facebook lacks the protections of CS, yet people gush all over their walls,” he said.
Natalie said she felt safer trying it out because she was going with her husband, and probably wouldn’t go if it was just her and another girl. However, she did say now that they have done it once, she is more comfortable with it.
“Okay maybe there are some creepy people out there, but I can just leave, it’s not like I have to stay there,” she said. “If someone has 500 reviews, the chance of them being a serial killer isn’t that high, it’s just the same as anywhere in life.”
Natalie said they had a great first experience with their host. In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Allman picked them up from the airport and let them pick out what they wanted for dinner.
She said he took them to a jazz club where the locals go and the next morning dropped them off at the cruise port. Then after the cruise, Natalie said he came to pick them up and took them back to the airport. However, she said, not all hosts are that generous.
“There were some that said yeah we could stay with them if we paid for the gas money and things like that, but he was just this older man who liked meeting new people,” she said.
Allman said he enjoys hosting people from all around the world.
“I continue because of all the wonderful people I’ve met and the thrill of making new friends that traverse culture, ethnicity, age and interests. I also get to share vicariously in their adventure,” he said.
Mandy Saunier, a 20-year-old couch surfer from France, said she got involved by searching the Internet for a cheap way to travel. She said most of her experiences have been positive, but not all.
“One guy I met was kind of looking for an affair,” said Saunier, who has been couch surfing since 2009, “and another one with a girl from the United States who was boring, who never spoke, and who spent four days in my flat reading a book.”
According to couchsurfing.org, the process is “not about the furniture, not just about finding free accommodations around the world; it’s about making connections worldwide. We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world.”
Natalie said the best part was meeting new people from around the world and learning about their culture.
A new member is able to get step-by-step help and advice through the website. The website addresses everything from getting started to surfing alone and safety tips.
Couchsurfing also organizes events where members can go to meet other members. Natalie said it is a chance for everyone to meet each other and establish those connections for next time they travel.
– megan.b@aggiemail.usu.edu