My First Couchsurfing Experience

When I first started backpacking, I was all about hostels. They appeared to be the most affordable option for me. But after six weeks in New Zealand and three months in Australia, hostels really started to hurt my budget. A dorm room could cost anywhere from $18-$30 US dollars a day, and it really added up.

I’d met a few other travelers who were doing this thing called Couchsurfing. You simply set up a free profile on the website, and you are ready to host or be hosted. I thought – this sounds cool but I’m a girl, I’m traveling alone…who knows what types of creeps are out there. So whenever I met Couchsurfers raving about their Couchsurfing experiences, I’d be like, “That’s great for you guys, you two are a couple” or “Well, you’re a big dude and you can whoop ass if shit goes down.” It honestly didn’t seem all that safe to me. (I’m American, in case you didn’t notice. Read: fear.)

In my mind, it was like hitchhiking – it only takes one bad experience and your life could be changed forever.

Well, my life did change – for the better – when I decided to give Couchsurfing a shot.

I had just arrived in Singapore and checked into a hostel. My experience was weird all the way around and I needed to move on. For starters, it was a strange hostel. I was sleeping upstairs on a rooftop. Second, the cops had come in and arrested a guy two beds away from me because he was caught on camera stealing an iPod from another room. Plus, just hours before, I had spent a really strange night in a police car across the border in Malaysia. And when I got off the bus in Singapore, a creepy man had followed me to my hostel.

All weirdness aside, it was a natural evolution in my travels to wanna try something new anyway. Hostels were great because they allowed me to easily meet other travelers from all over the world. But after awhile, it seemed I was having the same conversations over and over again. Where are you from, where are you going, where have you been, etc etc etc.

I started to get bored of other travelers, and decided I wanted more authentic cultural experiences. So…

• I completed an online profile at couchsurfing.org.
• Filtered my search by females.
• Read meticulously through profiles and references.
• Found a few people who seemed cool.
• Wrote them each an email.
• Within hours, I had a response from Asniah, telling me she’d be happy to host me!

Days later – and repeatedly throughout my next 16 months on the road – I would be counting my blessings that I found this amazing Couchsurfing thing. Couchsurfing introduced me to people I never would’ve met otherwise. It got me in touch with locals and gave me real cultural experiences. After awhile, all I wanted to do was hang out with my hosts and their families and friends, and not even bother seeing the sights of the city they were hosting me in!

The fact that it’s free was quickly forgotten, as Couchsurfing – for me – became alllll about the friendships I was building and the unique cultural experiences I was having.

My first Couchsurfing experience couldn’t have possibly been any better.

Asniah lived in an apartment with her mom, dad, sister, brother, sister-in-law, two toddler nephews, infant niece, two talking parrots, a few canaries, and some pet mice.

It was a full and interesting house to say the least! Asniah was the only one who spoke fluent English but the entire family was quick to embrace me and treat me like one of their own. They were so incredibly sweet and always had smiles on their faces. They even insisted I take the bedroom while they ALL slept on the living room floor! Naturally, I wasn’t having any of that, but they would not take no for an answer.

And those kids! Ohh, the kids. I fell in love with them immediately. Rather than doing the touristy thing, I spent most of my time in Singapore with Asniah and her family. They made me home-cooked Singaporean food, took me to the zoo, invited me as their guest to many of their friends’ houses – they even brought me along for a birthday celebration at the brand new Universal Studios theme park!

The highlight for me though was simply observing their day to day lives and social interactions, and learning about the Muslim culture. It’s a culture completely foreign to me, and I had so many questions. Asniah was happy to fill me in and educate me with her modern take on the culture, especially since her fiancee was converting to Islam to marry her. It was fascinating.

Asniah and I are still in touch to this day. In fact, I would continue my travels and come back to see her a year later! When I was wrapping up my Asia travels and heading to Europe, I extended my layover in Singapore to spend a few additional days with the family. The kids had grown up so much, and Asniah had gotten married since I’d last seen her. I’d been invited to the wedding but was unable to make it, unfortunately. In any case, I made a dear friend for life. Asniah even bought us matching shoes! In case you’re wondering which feet belong to me, just follow the flip flop tanlines to your right.

None of this would’ve happened had I not given this Couchsurfing thing a try. I would go on to Couchsurf all over India and in 20+ cities throughout Europe. I even Couchsurfed on that ill-fated roadtrip to Canada a few months ago. Couchsurfing plays a huge role in filling my travels with interesting people and one-of-a-kind experiences. I made countless incredible memories in all the places I Couchsurfed, including some very strange and wacky ones!

But your first…you simply never forget your first. And mine was pretty special.