Alex had just returned from six months abroad, traveling through 21 countries for free while shooting her full-length documentary, One Couch at a Time . She was wrapping up the film and had requested auto rental national an interview with me.
Startups that are part of this sharing economy like TaskRabbit , AirBNB , Uber , and Sidecar have given us unprecedented access to incredible experiences and resources, allowing many people to completely upgrade their lifestyles. By capitalizing on underused resources and new technology, people can live many strata above their income. In Alex's case, she was able to raise $8,000 through Kickstarter to crowdfund auto rental national her travel and the making of her film. She also lived rent-free during auto rental national those six months, staying auto rental national with more than 80 different strangers she'd met through Couchsurfing.org .
I might mention how I'll be hosting a revolutionary leader from Egypt, or that I'll be crashing in the heart of the Amazon on a stranger's couch. They inevitably tilt their heads like confused auto rental national puppies.
auto rental national After six months of sleeping in 80 different homes staying with people I'd never met I can definitively say that Couchsurfing has enriched my life more than anything else. In fact, I believe this site is changing our entire world for the better, one couch at a time.
Couchsurfing.org is an online hospitality network that connects travelers to free places to stay all over the world. There are more than 4 million globetrotters and backpackers, in 80,000 cities, who want to share their homes and time with you at no cost!
A great host can offer a fellow surfer some of the richest experiences of their lives and vice versa all without a euro, rupee, dinar, peso, yen, shilling, or dollar being exchanged. Simply for the love of hanging out with a kindred soul.
Couchsurfing has brought more amazing people and incredible adventures into my life than I can count. Thanks to my hosts, I ve met Peruvian Shamans, zipped through Ho-Chi Minh, taken boat rides in the delta of Maun, hiked to hidden spots in Victoria Falls, sat VIP during the Spanish Valladolid finals, auto rental national ridden horses on an Afrikaans farm The list goes on and on.
The bonds that form through Couchsurfing auto rental national are on a completely different level from those that arise in hostels. auto rental national Hosts will go out of their way to pick surfers up at the airport, open up their homes, cook exotic meals, and share their world. They can also readily show you the hidden gems in their city, unearthing attractions that you'd never find in a 'Lonely Planet' book. If you've ever wanted to get the Anthony Bourdain VIP treatment, Couchsurfing is for you.
But it's not just the surfers who benefit; auto rental national being a host can be tremendously rewarding, as well. For instance, my hosts in Morocco, Vietnam, and Brazil auto rental national all use CouchSurfing auto rental national as a means to improve their English. Others simply enjoy meeting new people and hearing interesting stories from the road. I get just as much enjoyment out of showing travelers around my city as I do being hosted. My appreciation for San Francisco is instantly revitalized whenever I see the wide-eyed look on a grateful CouchSurfer's face, looking upon a site they've only seen in the movies.
"When I first heard about CouchSurfing, I thought to myself, 'There is no way am I going to stay with strangers and get raped, robbed, and murdered.' But I was curious enough about the concept, so I did some research and made a profile. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made! It completely changed my life and has afforded me to see the world.
auto rental national As with anything in life, there are always potential dangers, but most risks can be easily avoided (more on this in the next section). As long as you adhere to community guidelines and use common sense, you are very likely to have great experiences.
Your profile auto rental national is your key to the Couchsurfer's kingdom. It allows hosts to learn about and trust you before meeting, and it will be a magnet for other fun surfers wanting to connect. It will behoove you to invest enough time and energy into building an awesome profile.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to accurately represent yourself. There's no use in trying to be someone you're not, or being bashful about your spiritual beliefs or diet preferences. If something is really important to you, then tell people! Show the community who you really are! The more information you can provide other members with, the better odds of everyone having positive exchanges.
Register on Couchsurfing.org . After signing auto rental national up, you'll be asked if you'd like to verify your profile auto rental national with a contribution. You can skip this part for now (we'll cover it in Step 2: Verify Your Profile ) and begin creating your profile right away. Just click your name in the top left corner, then click ' Profile .'
Post 5-10 pictures of yourself. We are visual animals, so don't be afraid to upload a bunch of fun photos of yourself (ideally from any global excursions you've auto rental national been on). Make sure the photos are interesting or remarkable, which gives fellow surfers material to start a conversation with you.
Fill out your profile. There are a lot of fields to complete, but don't worry! You don't have to complete everything all at once. Fill out as much as you can, then polish up the rest when you're up to it. [Since I host a lot of surfers, I included a note in my profile to spell the word "couch" correctly when messaging me. You'd be surprised how many people request to stay on your "coach."]
If you're already feeling overwhelmed auto rental national with the task at hand, relax! Spend some time looking at other members' profiles, take notes on what you like and dislike, then emulate your favorites when you're ready to get started. And if you need a starting point, here's my profile . Feel free to use it as a cheat sheet!
There are two primary methods for verifying your profile, which are designed to increase security and trust with members on the site. Both are technically optional, but I can assure you that you'll have a much harder time getting started without auto rental national having one or both of these:
Personal references. Ask a few of your friends to leave a positive reference for you, which shows the community that you are a worthwhile person to host or surf with. If none of your friends auto rental national have profiles on Couchsurfing, check out some of the local activities and meet up with couchsurfers in your area. Let them know you just joined the site, and after you've made a few friends, kindly ask if they'd be willing to vouch for you.
Now that you have the two most important pieces in play, it's time to get the ball rolling. Click ' Surf ' or ' Host ' in the site's auto rental national navigation bar, enter in your destination, and begin looking through the list of members in the area.
Take some time to go through all the profiles in these results. It reallys pay off to thoroughly examine a potential host's/surfer's profile before you decide to contact them. That means reading their description, scanning their photos, and going through each of their references. Some hosts will want to hang out with surfers; others are short on free time. Some hosts own three cats, or they need to wake up at 5:30 AM Whatever the case, you can easily auto rental national avoid mishaps and unpleasant experiences by figuring out what their expectations are of you.
Although the chances of an ax murderer hosting or surfing with you is slim-to-none, I always always ALWAYS read people's profiles diligently. I do not share interests in "making hair dolls" or "watching you sleep," so I do my best to steer clear of members who could pose a problem.
The purpose of your first message is to show the recipient auto rental national how great it would be for you two to connect (it is NOT to immediately auto rental national reserve a free couch). If you can successfully auto rental national show that you're someone they have to meet, a friendly dialogue will begin and you can make plans from there.
Create a video request. If you really want to stand out, record a video with the camera on your computer and appeal to your host directly. Upload it to Youtube as an unlisted video, then send them the link. This might take longer auto rental national than writing a message, but it gives them a much better idea of how well you ll get along and improves your chances of being accepted.
Write a catchy headline. Include something about who you are and/or how you want to connect. For instance, one surfer sent me a request during a very busy week. She grabbed auto rental national my attention in her title ("SOS Fellow Entrepreneur Coming to San Fran!"), then mentioned our similar interests in books and dancing. I made sure to meet up with her the following day!
Make it memorable. No one likes boring messages, so include at least one thing in your message that makes you stand out. Mention something you both have in common, suggest cooking them a homemade dinner, talk about your life path or your love for Mario Kart anything that sets you apart from the crowd.
auto rental national Be respectful when you reach out to other members. Remember: Surfing is a privilege, not a right. When someone writes a lame request, where they show no interest in their host but free accommodation, it destroys their chances.
Confirm your arrival and departure date. Although you might change these dates, it's always polite to set reasonable parameters. This is CouchSurfing, not CouchLiving, so be clear when you'll be in and out.
Write down your host's address and phone number, and enter it in your cell phone. I can't tell you how many times I forgot to charge my phone when entering a new country. When traveling, expect for some type of miscommunication or technology fail.
Have a backup auto rental national plan! Whether it be your creeper meter or inevitable failings of plans you need to have a back up. You're in a foreign country and always need safeguards. Make sure you have established contact with a few other CSers who you might be able to call/message in an emergency, as well as the locations of some hostels before you arrive. Also, knowing where the nearest Internet cafes are can help you in a pinch to try to find a new place to stay i
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