Hosted by Humanity
How Couchsurfing Transformed My Travel Experiences
Upon entering the land of cheese and chocolate, I did something I’d never done before. I Couchsurfed … I, too, thought it was crazy, weird and dangerous when I first heard the concept. You crash on a stranger’s couch … in another country … for free. When I heard there’s an actual platform for organized couchsurfing, I thought, “Now that’s for the truly experienced, real dirty travelers. I feel as though I’d be too formal or “clean” to embark on something like this. Of course, I want to save money, but this seems a little extreme.”
However, some fellow travelers I met just raved about Couchsurfing, so I decided to look more into it. I created a profile and got to scope out host profiles from all around the world. I could simply type in a destination and scroll through all available hosts in a particular area. I was only okay with staying with women or couples (and I advise all young girls to follow that rule), so I could filter my hosting preferences accordingly to only show women. I’d send stay requests to hosts that looked safe, friendly, clean and welcoming, then the host and I would coordinate further should the requested dates work out. All at no cost.
As it turns out, I guess I’m now one of those truly experienced, real dirty travelers because I’m here to put you on Couchsurfing. I hope that after you read all I have to say about this extraordinary platform, you’ll see how special (and not that scary!) it truly is.
All the money you save by Couchsurfing sure is nice, especially for a budget traveler like myself, but the most significant part of this whole experience is oftentimes your host. With Couchsurfing, you’re staying with a local in their home. You see more of what daily life looks like in that country, for you have the opportunity to live like a local, get to know your host and ask them all the questions you wish. You can more easily discover the country’s true culture, which can oftentimes remain hidden among the flashing lights, the three-course menus being waved in your face, the glossy brochures, and the catchy slogans cleverly marketed toward tourists and visitors when staying in a resort, hotel, Airbnb, or even hostel.
So, my first Couchsurfing experience was in Switzerland with a lovely single woman named Katarina (like my name minus the “ta”!). Likely in her 40s, she lived in a small town called Horgen, alongside glistening Lake Zurich. I stayed with her for my first three nights in Switzerland, before my Workaway experience. She was very communicative via text regarding my arrival and made me feel comfortable before I even met her. She met me at a nearby bus station, then walked me to her apartment, where she had prepared a home-cooked dinner to welcome me into her home. We ate together on her picturesque balcony overlooking the lake and got to know each other. She was a big traveler herself, and we exchanged many travel stories. To make my stay as comfortable as possible, she blew up a giant air mattress in her private guest room for me to sleep on, let me freely use her shower, lent me a spare key, and was totally fine with leaving me in her home while she left early and came home late from work. She truly did everything to make me feel right at home — she even left some bread and coffee for me in the morning and was fine with me coming back late at night.
To make sure we’re clear here, the only “requirement” a Couchsurfing host must provide a traveler is a place to sleep, whether that be a couch, mat, cot, full bed, air mattress, or simply their floor with some blankets. Anything else is a bonus given simply out of the kindness of their heart.
Katarina loved to talk, and we’d often chat until midnight after I’d get home around 10:30 p.m. from my day of exploring. While I was ready to hit the hay by that time (and I’m surprised she wasn’t!), I knew she was such a sincere lady who simply wanted to share a chat with some company.
Then, toward the end of my Switzerland trip and after my Workaway had wrapped up, I stayed with a lovely couple (likely in their late 20s) in their cozy apartment perched on the edge of the mountain village of Zermatt, most widely known for its famous Matterhorn Mountain (there’s even a ride at Disneyland inspired by this iconic peak!). The views of her apartment and the location were priceless, overlooking the entire village below positioned beneath the towering Swiss Alps and the iconic Matterhorn Mountain. It was a village straight from a Hallmark movie. And I got to stay here for free?! You’re kidding … I cannot even guess the cost of a hotel in that location.
The most special part of my stay here, however, was my host, Monika. While I spent just two nights and one full day in the small town of Zermatt, she made sure I had the best Zermatt experience in my short time. She made homemade eggplant lasagna upon my arrival, set me up in a spacious guest room with a comfortable pull-out bed and bathroom, and had tea and bread ready for me in the morning (Europeans sure do eat a lot of bread … for breakfast, too). I had no set plans for my one full day in Switzerland, I just knew I wanted to explore the quaint town and see the Matterhorn. Lukas, Monika’s fiancee, had to work, but Monika had the day off, so she decided to take me all around and spend the day with me. She even brought along her adorable German Shepherd, Luna. So, Monika, Luna and I embarked on the popular 5-Lakes Trail around the Matterhorn. I was so grateful to spend the day with her, as she knows the streets of Zermatt like the back of her hand. I followed her lead and loved getting to know all about her and the beautiful town she lives in. How lucky was I to have her as my host/personal tour guide …
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We took a steep funicular up the mountain range, and as soon as we stepped out into the brisk mountain air, I was stopped in my tracks. There, the first thing I see … the Matterhorn standing mightily in all its glory before my very own eyes. “Wow, we ain’t in Disneyland no more …” I thought and pulled out my phone to snap a picture. Monika told me to just wait, as even better views lied ahead. And, boy, was she right …
She and I chatted throughout the whole hike, and she told me about her upbringing in Slovakia and just how challenging it was. She came from extreme poverty and before 1993, Slovakia was part of the Czechoslovakian state. The “Velvet Revolution” in 1989 had brought down communist rule in Czechoslovakia, leading to the eventual split into two independent nations. The transition to a market economy was ongoing, with challenges like outdated industrial infrastructure and high unemployment, and the newly formed Slovak government was navigating the complexities of establishing its own political landscape. Winters were especially harsh, and gangs were prominent. Though, she moved away when she was able, and look where she is now! She still had her thick Slovak accent, and I’ll never forget her constantly yelling, “Luna, neín!!” all along our hike whenever Luna would wander off trail, sniff something suspicious, or run too far ahead. She yelled it so often that it became so funny to me. “Luna, neín!!” played on repeat in my head that night and made me crack a smile each time.
Monika also shared how she now works at a local outdoor gear/clothing store, and Lukas works in a bike shop just across the street. They both love music and going to concerts and festivals, as well as skiing, snowboarding and biking.
A couple of hours into our hike, we stopped for lunch along the route at a mountain restaurant called Enzian, with the most unbeatable view of the Matterhorn. Monika used to work at this restaurant and knew all the staff, making for a very personable dining experience. She chatted with the servers, her former coworkers, as they casually caught up. Because our waitress was an old friend of hers, we were catered to and given that “regulars only” special treatment. How cool to be treated like a “regular” in this locally famous restaurant perched high in the snowy mountains of this foreign country. It was a Thursday early afternoon, so the restaurant was fairly empty and quiet. We sat outside as the birds chirped, the cool air breezed by, and the Matterhorn proclaimed its dominance over the view. Monika ordered what she thought an eager foreigner like me would appreciate most — a traditional sliced salmon + bread appetizer and raclette with melted Mont d’or cheese, small boiled potatoes, silver shallots and pickles. The food, the view, the company and the location will go down as one of my most memorable dining experiences abroad.
After lunch, we made our descent and finally touched back down in the village of Zermatt a few hours later. We stopped by her work, where I got to meet her coworkers; visited Lukas at his bike shop; then, as if I hadn’t been spoiled enough, Monika brought me to her favorite local dessert shop where we shared three beautiful little cakes. I offered to pay for lunch and now dessert and told her how wrong it was for me to not pay, but she insisted it was all her treat. She had already treated me enough with her entire home?! I was getting the royal treatment, and I was nowhere near royalty …
I figured Monika was probably sick of me by the time we finished our cakes, and she’d likely want to wind down alone at home. So, I stopped off at the Matterhorn Museum, where I learned so much history behind the Matterhorn and just how many climbers have died trying to summit this iconic peak.
I learned that one of the Matterhorn’s finest mountain guides, Ulrich Inderbinen (1900–2004), qualified at 25 and worked as one until he was 95 years old. He never owned a telephone. If someone wanted to hire him, they had to look for him in the church square in the evenings. He stood on the Matterhorn peak more than 370 times, and the last was at 90 on the 125th anniversary of the first climb. Inderbinen once said, “I live how I climb a mountain; my walking rhythm is slow and deliberate, but steady and determined.”
Also, here is the rope that broke between the first climbers of the Matterhorn, Lord Francis Douglas and Peter Taugwalder (guide). Douglas and three others in their group fell to their deaths on the descent. Taugwalder and two others in the group survived the descent.
Since 1865, over 500 people have died climbing or descending the Matterhorn. In modern times, there’s an average of 12 fatalities per year, and three climbers most recently died on the Matterhorn in August 2024. The nerve these climbers have … the guts … the lack of fear is just unfathomable.
Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming on Couchsurfing … It is the most amazing platform and opportunity out there! I Couchsurfed three more times following — once in Munich with a very outdoorsy young couple; once in Hamburg with a gentle old couple, and once in Amsterdam with a sweet, lonely lady likely in her 40s. Throughout my Couchsurfing experiences, I noticed a pattern between the hosts:
Firstly, they all loved traveling and had been to an extensive list of destinations themselves. This is part of what makes Couchsurfing so special because it’s composed of travelers (no matter how old or young) who understand how transformative travel can be, and the memories you create abroad are memories you’ll remember for a lifetime. They also understand how little money young travelers typically have, and they want to be a vessel for a memorable experience in the lives of others at no monetary cost.
Secondly, I noticed that it’s common to find many host couples, for they likely feel safer themselves joining the platform as a host with their partner, so they’re not welcoming a stranger into their home alone. Additionally, I think it can be common to find many single, older women simply looking for some company. Sweet as they were, I could tell that two of my hosts, in particular, just wanted someone to talk to. Nonetheless, if they’re giving me a free place to stay, meals, local insight, unmeasurable kindness, and hospitality like no other, the least I could give them is a listening ear, a warm smile, and immense gratitude.
I still cannot fathom all I gained from Couchsurfing — experiences, stays, meals, relationships, tours and all — all through the eyes of a local for the low, low cost of free. It doesn’t seem fair; I feel as though I gained so much and left only a thank you note alongside some chocolates. No tangible gift left on the kitchen table could equate to what they gave me. They know that, and they continue to welcome travelers through their door with a smile. They know that for them, it’s all about giving. The only way to eventually make this trade “fair” on my end is to pay it forward — open up my future home to young travelers all across the world and attempt to give them an experience similar to what my hosts gave me.
The traveler community is the most selfless community I’ve ever met or been a part of. While they may be a little dirty sometimes, they truly have the biggest hearts. :)
My travels had shown me lots of the good in the world, and Couchsurfing pointed even more so to the conclusions that:
- The world is mostly a good place.
- Most strangers aren’t that strange at all; they’re actually very nice.
- It’s okay to talk to strangers. In fact, it’s encouraged!
- Small acts can have a significant impact.
