19/09
How To Make New Friends
How To Make New Friends Instantly In A Place You’ve Never Been Before
It’s no secret that an easy way to make contact with new people when traveling is to get in touch with friends of friends, existing social networks, or members of a professional association you belong to. But there’s a whole new way to have instant friends in new places, and you’ll save the cost of a hotel room to boot.
Try couchsurfing. Essentially, people with a couch to spare offer it up for free to travelers, along with some degree of insider advice about the best places to eat, shop, and people-watch. Although you may feel squeamish about staying in the house of a total stranger for a night or longer, each host’s listing includes details about the host, the couch — ie, whether you need a sleeping bag — the location, as well as ratings from previous couchsurfers akin to the eBay feedback system. And often, a host will introduce a couchsurfer to his/her extended network of friends and co- workers. Before you know it, your social calendar is jammed to the rafters.
One woman in Los Angeles who regularly hosts couchsurfers says it’s been a great way to meet travelers from all over the world with a wealth of backgrounds and who lead incredibly diverse lives. Though she doesn’t have the time to travel to couchsurf herself, she plans to in the future when her schedule frees up.
Over the years, I’ve met plenty of innkeepers and B&B hosts who say the best part of running their business is that the world comes to them. Couchsurfing is the same thing, though it goes a few steps further in that it can be reciprocal and no money changes hands. It’s almost like a hostel — in fact, many couchsurfers are backpackers, budget-challenged travelers who tend to stay in hostels, and Europeans, who are well accustomed to staying in accommodations that aren’t necessarily five-star.
Of course, it goes without saying that you should be a good guest, but f you can sleep anywhere, can get by without a guarantee of 600- thread-count Egyptian sheets and an extrafirm mattress, and have a bit of an adventurous streak, then couchsurfing may be the ticket for you.
By Lisa Rogak
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