As you know, I’ve been around the world quite a bit. To make my travels even more affordable, authentic and fun, I joined Couchsurfing.
I crashed on many people’s couch in different cities. I had some good couchsurfing experiences as well as really bad ones. There were many moments of happiness and excitement, and only a few filled with anxiety and awkwardness. Well, it’s all part of the experience that this website provides. You take the risk hoping to collect only the good memories, or you take it safe and stay in a hostel. The choice is yours.
Once upon a time in Dubai…
A bit anxious and way too late than expected, me and Cez arrived at our couch in Dubai, Alex.We both were not expecting much, but a small couch to sleep on for a night. Nevertheless, once we entered Alex’s apartment, we got the feeling that this guy was so relaxed, hospitable and, above all, adventurous.
We were not wrong. After talking to Alex for few minutes, me and Cez felt challenged for the first time doing couchsurfing. Why? This born and raised in Greece guy has actually experienced way more on the road than me and Cez combined together and been to places where we were only dreaming about going to. And no, he was not a 50 year-old pensioner.
Alex shared a lot of travel knowledge and stories with us that night. He sounded so passionate and true and it was the first time when we didn’t have to make ourselves the center of attention. We listed, we observed, we learnt and we absorbed his words like sponges.
Coming across someone like Alex, who lived in different countries, survived a lot of danger and difficulties and never gave up on traveling, was very inspiring. He was not another host who kept asking the same questions all over again: “Where did you travel to?”, “Where are you going next?”, “What’s your favourite place so far?” and “How do you fund your travels?”.
Believe me or not, but I felt connected with Alex like with nobody else on that trip (not including Cez of course). We talked, we laughed, had few drinks and even spent the whole morning together exchanging our experiences of exploring Dubai.
He recommended us few free attractions in Dubai and top places you can’t miss in the city, making our trip to one of the most expensive cities in the world quite affordable and trouble free.
If you had a bad couchsurfing experience in the past like I did and you are afraid of giving it another try, don’t be. You never know who your host may be. Yes, he or she could turn to be a total mistake and disaster, but there is a chance you meet a person like Alex who will push you to travel longer and further.
What’s been your recent couchsurfing experience?
