26 Feb 2. The American Dream

I was reading a friend’s article this morning, posted on a website called medium.com. Medium.com is a place where you can share your stories and ideas, “from little tales that make your day a better, to manifestos that change the world.” It’s open to anyone, professional or amateur. I like it! The design is simple and there are even ways for you to get help with editing your text before you hit the ‘Publish’ button.

My friend Sam’s article is about SHARING and he’s interviewing one of the authors of the book “It’s a Shareable Life” — Chelsea Rustrum. They discuss sharing in many different ways: how sharing can make both friends and money, and how the world of sharing really has flourished in the last few years thanks to new technologies.

Picture: How do you share?

My first really exciting experience of sharing was on Couchsurfing, at the end of the 21th century. I was surfing people’s couches in Prague and Budapest, in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and in the Philippines. I also had people on my couches back home in Sweden. I came to appreciate this way of sharing so much.

When I first heard about Airbnb I noticed a defensive attitude in myself. Why should money be included? But after hearing my friends from Stockholm (the capital of Sweden) telling how much money they earn on only hiring their apartments out some weeks every summer, I kind of understood one good thing about it: money. The guests hiring the apartments also often get a good spot in the city, a cheaper place than a hotel with a more local and interesting touch. And it can be more convenient than Couchsurfing as well, since you pay for something – you’re a customer – you can ask for at least some kind of standard, depending on the price and contract. Honestly, I’ve had some rough times during my years couchsurfing: moldy, small spaces with no extra conveniences. Here in San Francisco I’ve already had two short experiences of Airbnb, as a guest to other people who were hiring apartments for a weekend, for pregames or cocktail parties before going out dancing.

Photo: Me and my friend Jo in Prague couchsurfing.

Back to sharing. People have been sharing forever, that’s part of being a human being. Being a human being – I like that sentence! You share with your own kids from the day they’re born, they depend on you and you share your love with them. Friendship is sharing, living with other people is sharing. Our whole society is sharing. We share on local levels — our streets, our parks. We share on other levels — this world; we don’t own it, we share it. Now I’m in San Francisco for a semester, sharing here. In June I’ll be back in Sweden, Malmö, sharing there.

And back to the article. An interesting topic that is discussed is the American Dream, which to some people is history now. The American Dream used to mean owning a house, a car, a TV and a refrigerator — living a stable life. In the article, Rustrum defines the American Dream for our generation: “Freedom. Creativity. Purpose.” And I just have to agree with. These three words kind of summarize my thoughts lately, being an exchange student in San Francisco. These words also summarize our intense sharing on Internet nowadays: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. We try to find purpose in our creativity while doing our best to not feel owned by these companies — to stay free. Many of these companies have big offices in San Francisco, making so much money on us while we’re just being creative and having fun.

Picture: What is actually the American Dream today?

I would say that the American Dream can be a lot of different things today, based on my time here in San Francisco: sunset at Ocean Beach, burritos in the Mission, ice cream at Fentons Creamery in Oakland…. Or, I do have another idea: coffee. Coffee, coffee. I’ve had so much coffee since I came here. Before I went overseas I didn’t drink that much coffee — I struggled because I didn’t enjoy it as much as I used to. Coming to San Francisco has changed me — I’m happy for that, but my wallet is sad. Anyway, I love it and there are so many great cafes here with organic coffee.

Photo: One of the many good cafes I’ve been to.

Once again, back to my friend Sam’s article. They talk about different ways of sharing. Transaction-based, like Uber, or sharing that is more about swapping and giving, like Couchsurfing. I really appreciate how Chelsea Rustrum put it in the end: “There’s something about giving and receiving without money that’s really powerful. It reaches people on a different level.”

My first three weeks in San Francisco I lived on people’s couches and even on the floor under (yes, under) a bunk bed with two guys over me. These people were so friendly to have me at their places. In this expensive city I could have paid dollars upon dollars for those three weeks while looking for a place to live. Instead I experienced the power of kindness: the other level that Rustrum talks about.

Sharing is Caring!
Love / Kristina

Read my friends article here, it’s great:
https://medium.com/@sozh/make-friends-make-money-share-everything-1ea6c6661826