After years, now, of discussion, months of planning and only two weeks after finally purchasing the plane tickets, the trip that was supposed to be our escape and a chance to bond in a little bubble of adventure of our own is in shambles. It looks as though it will be a solitary adventure after all. I am disheartened… well heartbroken in fact. But still committed to the voyage… I think it’s good to get out of our comfort zones, just feels like this is a bit too far out right now.
Anyhow, since L has family and friends in the area, we were rather cavalier in terms of planning accommodations. She looks and sounds local, knows the ins and outs, so we could just drift freely and fallback on someone should the need arise. Won’t work for me, so I’m scrambling to avoid being eaten alive on unknown streets… Even if Santiago is a very safe and friendly city, a life of hotels would make it a lonely trip anyway.
However, I’ve been a member of CouchSurfing since 2006. If you don’t know it, CouchSurfing envisions “a world where everyone can explore and create meaningful connections with the people and places they encounter” and it’s mission is to create Inspiring Experiences in order to build global community that is inspired to seek harmony. And how does the CS community hope to reach these goals? One connection at a time 🙂
In fact, CouchSurfing is at its base a means of connecting people who are out exploring the world with those who are willing to share experiences, knowledge and often hospitality. It’s more about the exchange and potential for creating bonds than about surfing couches. But just being invited into someone’s home, rather than some anonymous hotel room, can provide insight into worlds and possibilities you’d never have thought of. In addition to all the great tips you can get from a hip local!
That’s the theory, at least. My CS experiences are still rather limited, and I’ve hosted more than surfed. It’s funny for someone as protective of his intimacy as myself (at least, in the physical sense) to allow people I hardly know to stay at my place. But since, as a host, you get to choose when and what you make available, it’s a lot like taking a mini-trip of your own, getting the inside scoop on other places, and other ways of thinking and living.
This time I’ll be the one surfing. I’m excited and a bit anxious. It’s fascinating to get to know people, and can be quite a blast, but it’s also tiring and I need solitary recuperation at regular intervals… So I’m thinking of splitting my time between friendly couches and hotels or hostels, maybe evenly but I’ll leave that decision for the field.
For the moment, I’ve already contacted a few potential guides/hosts and the community is as friendly as ever. I think that’s the neatest thing about CouchSurfing… there are all kinds of people, living diverse lives in every corner of the globe on CS, but it takes a special kind of openness, an abandonment to the joys of life, to be part of it. Pretty much everyone I’ve talked with, met and hosted has been amazing and I’m certain this will be no exception.