What is Couchsurfing?

This is Eliane. Before arriving in Brazil she was a complete stranger to me. Eliane and I connected on the internet when I contacted her from Canada to see if I could stay at her place while I explored the city in which she lives, Curitiba. The network that made this possible is called CouchSurfing.

CouchSurfing is an international network where people who travel or like to host travelors can connect. The network is English speaking, so all members around the world have some English speaking capability. A person can join for free and create a profile to share personal information about their likes and dislikes, the languages they speak, their travel experience as well as the kind of couch they have to offer if they are interested in hosting. Currently on my profile I am listed as travelling, so I do not have a description of a couch available. People can also join even if they aren't travelling or have a couch to offer. Such individuals join because they would like to meet a travelling person and show them around ther town or to sit and have a coffee.

I had heard of Couchsurfing from some of my BC friends in Canada, but I had never had reason to try it. When a friend in Brazil recommended the network to me as a cheaper accomodation option, I started to seriously consider joining. Obviously meeting people online is still considered taboo for many. There are safety concerns, fear of fraud, fear of having your identity stolen and generally being conned. I will admit that I have for the most part only had good experience with meeting people online. In my social circles, I or people I know have found friends, boyfriends, husbands, domestic and international roomates and more through online connections which I believe normalizes the process for me. The only factor that is a little different with CouchSurfing is you are not just meeting a stranger but staying in their home, their personal space, upon first meeting them.

For individuals who are open to all living situations and know that they can be open, pleasant, positive and flexible to all experiences for the duration of their stay with a host, I would strongly recommend CouchSurfing. If you know you have very particular needs, I would shy away from staying with a host and instead meet CouchSurfers for coffee to get some tips about their city.

Eliane is my first CouchSurfing host and I am her first couch surfer. I am staying in her closet on a blow up mattress in her quaint and delightful appartment. When I first arrived, Eliane was concerned that I was staying both on a blow up mattress as well as in a closet space, but I gladly explained that this is the third time I am staying in an air mattress/closet situation on this trip and it still doesn't bother me in the least. I am grateful to have a safe place to stay with a person that knows and is excited about showing off their city.

I approached Eliane online because I preferred to stay with a woman rather than a man for obvious reasons (CouchSurfing tends to be male dominated and there have been stories of inappropriate behaviour between male hosts and female guests which I wanted to avoid), and I liked the personal information she shared about herself which indicated to me we might be a good match. There are all types of people on CouchSurfing - young and old, male and female, quiet and loud, smokers and non-smokers, singles and families, urban and rural dwellers - which means it is important to take the time to make sure the people you are approaching or are considering to host will in fact be a good fit for you.

Neither Eliane or I smoke or do drugs, which was important to both of us, and we both like music! In fact on the first night here, we went to a metal concert at Crossroads, a rock/metal bar where we rocked out til early in the morning to The Elders, a popular Curitiban rock band which plays covers of bands like Metallica and System of a Down. We ended up at this bar as a result of an invitation from one of Eliane's friends, Marcos, whom she also met online. Apparently Eliane said she became very popular with her friends and family when she let them know she was going to have a Canadian staying with her for four days. :)

All in all my experience has been very positive and I will plan on doing it again later in my trip. The fact that between aquaintances and CouchSurfing hosts I will not have paid for even one night of accomodation in Brazil during my four week stay, makes reaching out to people a very attractive travel option. My biggest advice when doing this kind of travelling is to accept anything your hosts offer to you - activities, food, social events - because it will expose you to things you would otherwise not know about, and it shows appreciation to your hosts for putting effort into making your stay enjoyable. If you have a very specific idea of what you want to do during a visit, please stay in a hostel or hotel. CouchSurfing is not about using hosts to save money, but about connecting with people. The touring and the money saving aspects are the bonuses.

Be safe, have fun and good luck with your first CouchSurfing experience.