Then when you are traveling, you search in the area where you want to spend a night or three (or more). You look through the profiles of people living there and send out requests. Then those people look at your profile and respond saying if you can come or not. I usually get about a 25% acceptance rate, and the most common reasons for getting rejected are either they already are full with couchsurfers or the hosts are on the road themselves!
Then, after host and traveler have parted ways, they usually write a reference for one another. The more references you have, the better, because these are key to a solid profile. If you've got a lot of good references, other couchsurfers can feel safe in the knowledge that you'll be a kind guest or host. This system works; thus far, everyone I've met who's a couchsurfer has been nothing short of friendly and hospitable.
I've been using couchsurfing.org a lot since I began traveling in May, and it is just the gift that keeps on giving. I've been telling people about it all the time, and I usually get one of two reactions: either "That's so cool, I want to try!" or "I don't want a strange man in my house...". To provide a few examples of what sorts of things happen when you use this site and to try and convert those who are wary, let me describe my three day trip from Raleigh to Austin earlier this month.
The first night I stayed over with some grad students in Troy, a small college town outside of Montgomery, Alabama. My host was Indrani, who is from India and she cooked biryani for dinner, which was just delicious (I love Indian food). We ate and hung out with her friends, and after dinner we went out and had ice cream, then grabbed a sweet tea for me to try (a popular beverage around these parts I have learned).
The second night was spent in New Orleans. I got there in time to join my hostess, Megan, for dinner with her friends, including her first couchsurfing visitor ever (I being her second) who was from France and was wrapping up a year and a half long trip around the world. The restaurant we went to was just outside the French quarter, so it was one of the places the locals go (no one who lives in New Orleans goes to the French Quarter, I was assured). I enjoyed my first Po' Boy sandwich and Boudin sausage there, which were delicious. The restaurant also served us tater tot nachos, which are nachos but with tater tots replacing the chips, which is as bad for you and tasty as it sounds. Then they took me to get snowballs, which are these special sort of crushed ice balls that are loaded with various flavored syrups. My palatte has expanded a great deal lately.
Just outside the French Quarter
These were really good
Couchsurfers unite!
Though I had a great time out and about in New Orleans, I was worrying a little about the following night in Austin. I hadn't gotten an acceptance yet from all the couchsurfing requests I had sent out, and also my search for a room to rent for a month had been fruitless thus far.
I need not have been worried though.
I checked my mail after we returned from getting snowballs, and I had an acceptance from one Igor, a Russian fellow living with another couchsurfer and two others in a big house, which had seen a lot of couchsurfers. They had over a dozen people staying over during SXSW, so there would no doubt be room for me. He mentioned also there was a big party of couchsurfers going on the night I would arrive, so I would get to meet a bunch of the locals, oh and by the way Igor was leaving the following day for a two month jaunt through Mexico, so would I like to rent his room?
My very first night in Austin
Long story short, since I got here I've been hanging out with Igor's housemates and their friends, being brought along to do all sorts of stuff in and around Austin. But that's story material for another blog post.
Give couchsurfing a try sometime, you will not regret it!
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