Perhaps you're extra adventurous, or maybe you simply want to travel and don't have a lot of money to spend on accommodations. If that's the case, you may be willing to stay on people's couches. Also known as "Couch Surfing".
If you're like me, you love being able to have your own space while traveling. I appreciate my own room after a long day of exploring a city. Luckily I can afford to travel this way. But, maybe when I was younger, this would've been a great way to see the world and meet people without needing to spend a lot of money.
I was first introduced to couch surfing in San Jose, Ca. I had a neighbor who was an international student and he listed his couch on couchsurfing.com for international travelers to use. I asked him why he did this, and he said, "I've used this for myself before and I want to return the favor. Plus I'm homesick and love to host people from my home country when possible." It made a lot of sense to me.
How does CouchSurfing.com work for travelers?
Basically, you go to the website, create a profile, declare whether you're looking for a couch or can provide one, and that's it! Of course, like anything, the more complete and detailed your profile is, the better your chances are of getting a couch. After all, you are asking to be let into people's homes.
Another great thing about this is that you can connect with "resources" in the cities you're traveling in. These are people who maybe don't have a place for you to crash, but are open to hanging out and maybe showing you around.
Check out their intro video below.
Is couch surfing something you'd try?
Follow my travels on Instagram. www.instagram.com/catching.planes