11 Sep Never heard of it? No way!

Ever heard of couchsurfing? No? www.couchsurfing.com. You’re welcome.

What it is, you wonder? It’s like meeting old friends. Only that you haven’t met them before. But there is that common ground. Let’s call it the love for travelling. And the passion to immerse yourself in new cultures. And the appreciation of meeting strangers that really don’t seem to be strangers at all. Not once did I question my own reasoning when I rang the doorbell of a guy or gal I’ve only just met online. Not once have I regretted surfing on couches instead of staying at a hotel.

Why I do it you wonder? Because I can. Because it’s fantastic. Because you experience things you would not otherwise. An example you want?

Well, would I have been able to have an early breakfast in Manhattan with seven other surfers from all over the world and our host, a former gay investment banker who has that humongous loft in the middle of Chelsea listening to classic music? Not really. Would I have gotten a city tour through Sydney in the middle of the night by the very same person who picked me up at the airport at the other end of the world? Pretty unlikely. Would I ever have gotten keys to an apartment in downtown Hamburg overseeing the beautiful harbour and been told everything about it from what kind of ships enter this vast installation of cranes and docks to the quality of the water. Most certainly not.

I almost lost track of the sheer amount of life-changing encounters I had thanks to this community. Almost. But I didn’t. Because I cherish the memories of these moments like Gollum his Prrrrecious.

-JP