So I’ve officially begun my couch surfing days! Most of you know I joined the website couch surfing, and so far I’m loving it! I’m really glad that Shley told me all about it, because I probably wouldn’t have joined if it wasn’t for her. My first official surf was in Bath with a group of girls who go to the University there. They were Suzanne, Kat and Fleur – all who were really chill and I had a great time with. The first night in bath I decided to stay at a youth hostel and meet the girls for a drink just so I could feel everything out, and basically see if we got along. After walking around Bath for the day and seeing all of the great sites, (seriously I would recommend it to anyone) I met up with Sooz and Kat at the Abbey and we headed to a bar. I must admit I was quite nervous!
However, after talking for about an hour and finishing our pints the girls asked me what I was doing later that night. I told them that I had no specific plans and they invited me back to their house for dinner, and then a night out. I was so excited!!! A night out on the town with some chill girls sounded like so much fun.
I headed to their place and proceeded to have a great night out where I met tons of their friends, their other roommate Fleur, danced in an underground club, and drank at a vodka bar. Sooz and Kat really took me by surprise because I wasn’t sure about what to expect from couch surfing. They made me feel right at home, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience couch surfing. Girls, if you’re reading this you’re welcome to NYC anytime! I sincerely appreciate everything they did; I could have easily written this whole thing off as weird if I had a poor first experience, and instead now I am completely addicted, and with good reason.
My hosts in Portsmouth were a group of four guys, Thierry, Will, Collin, and an unnamed fourth roommate who wasn’t present at the time. They also were absolutely amazing! So hospitable, welcoming, and really interesting to talk to; I wish I had had more time to get to know them. The best thing about couch surfing is that it isn’t just a place to stay like in a hotel. The hosts really make a large effort to make sure that you are enjoying their city. Thierry and the guys armed me with tons of information about Portsmouth and The Isle of Wight, way more than I could have ever collected myself. I really loved having the insider’s point of view on what to do with my two days in the city.
Then, it was onto Oxford for Halloween where I stayed with Stephanie, Katie and Zaal, all students from Australia who are all taking their research med school year there. First of all I was greeted with dinner, huge similes and just awesome vibes. They seemed genuinely excited to have me in their house, and it made me even more excited about getting to explore Oxford with them. Halloween night was classically amazing, and even though I didn’t get super sauced, I felt like I was with friends who I had known forever. The conversation flowed, and we all had such a laugh together. The next day was just as fun, as again they really wanted to show me the town, (even though we missed the regatta due to the previous nights festivities) we ended up going on this sweet evening tour of Oxford. The ancient buildings looked amazing basked in moonlight.
Tonight I’m in Birmingham staying with Emmanuel and his flat mates from college. We had a great day together just walking around the town, baking bread, going to museums and chatting. This evening we went out to a pub and had a chill night with lots of his friends. I honestly can’t imagine this couch surfing thing going any better. I’m having so much fun, and I love the local experience that I get. Tomorrow I’m off to Sheffield were I’m staying with a guy named Chris and his three flat mates – I’m sure it will be just as fun and enlightening as my last few hosts, can’t wait!!
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