CouchSurfing Connects Families From Across the World

This post if reprinted from my March 29, 2011 column “All Over the Map” in Mount Vernon Patch. 

Have you ever considered traveling without a hotel or a home rental, but relying on the hospitality of strangers? 

I had always assumed CouchSurfing was a network designed for young backpackers who needed a place to “crash” during their gap year. I was wrong. As I recently learned from an Australian couchsurfing family, the Weatherleys, and their host family, the Totaros, CouchSurfing has developed into an excellent resource for families interested in getting valuable information from locals as well as gaining an in-depth look at another country’s lifestyle through home stays with other families.

CouchSurfing is a hospitality network of travelers from around the world.  Participants range from college students to retired couples, and, increasingly, to families.  In 2008, CouchSurfing had 320,000 users.  Today, it has over 2.6 million participants from 246 different countries.

Before Nicole Weatherley took her family on a three-month CouchSurfing trip around the world in 2008, she hadn’t left her native Australia in twenty-one years. Since that time, the Weatherleys have couchsurfed in fourteen countries, from Canada to Cambodia. They have also welcomed guests to their Melbourne-area home from a number of countries, including India, Brazil, the United States, and France.

In addition to staying with people, the Weatherleys use CouchSurfing to connect with local people in various ports of call. They have toured Prague with a tourism student, explored Malta with a Catholic priest, and visited the Auckland Zoo with a zookeeper.

Nicole and her eleven-year-old daughter Shanice are currently couchsurfing for ten days with a Mount Vernon-area family, the Totaros. Aside from emailing and several phone calls, the families had never met before their visit.

Travelers are not the only ones to benefit from CouchSurfing.  The Totaros have learned a lot about Australia from their visitors. 

“Even a trip together to the grocery store taught us a few things that will come in handy when we visit Australia,” says Paige Totaro. “For example, bell peppers are known as “capsicum,”  what they call “lemonade” is essentially clear lemon soda (and it is an essential ingredient in their family’s scone recipe!).”

Having an Australian “sister” has been an easy adjustment for eleven-year-old sisters Calla and Magnolia Totaro. They had started emailing back and forth before Shanice arrived and hit it off immediately. Calla and Magnolia have enjoyed showing Shanice around town. They have taken her to the Smithsonian, to see some local theater, and even to spend the day at school with them.

Couchsurfing was a leap of faith for the Weatherleys, but one that was well worth taking. 

“It’s opened up a completely different world that I almost didn’t know existed but in order for it to exist it needs me to participate,” says Nicole. 

This was the Totaro family’s first experience hosting a CouchSurfing family.  When asked if she would host again, Paige answered, “Absolutely!  And I’m looking forward to trying out surfing, in addition to more hosting.”

For more information about CouchSurfing, visit www.couchsurfing.com.

-Veronique