The Life of an Exchange Student: CouchsurfingUSA

My name is Eugen Merher and I was an exchange student at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Now that my year in the US is over, I’m reflecting on all the adventures that I have experienced. Just like every exchange student on a J1 visa I had an extra thirty days before the first term started and thirty days after the exchange program ended to stay in the United States. This total of sixty days is called the almighty “grace period” and most exchange students use this time to travel. So, my friend Lars and I did the same. Since our flight back to Germanywas scheduled to depart a month after the end of our exchange program from New York City, we decided to travel all over the east coast before hitting the Big Apple.

Suitcases packed, toothbrushes ready: Goodbye Oregon, welcome to Miami.

What sounds easy actually wasn’t – at least not for my buddy Lars. His suitcase weighed about as much as another human being and to my amusement its handle was broken. This poor guy had to push the stone of Sisyphus all the way to our hostel in Miami.

The reward: a hammock. I haven’t stayed at any hostels in Germanyso far, because for most of them you need to join a club and pay a yearly fee. But here in America, I have stayed at a couple and I am usually surprised at how they manage to keep hot tubs and hammocks up and running for such a low nightly rate. Well, I guess theMiami hostel gave me an answer to that question: They save on proper AC equipment.

The AC in our room must have had two settings: North Pole and off.

After five nights in Miami, a city that seems to have lost its glory several decades ago, it was about time to head north towards Orlando. Scott Browning, an actor and really cool guy I met on the plane to Miami offered Lars and me a place to stay in Orlando and a tour of the city. On a college budget, this is the best thing that could happen to you. But let’s face it: Even if I had the money to spend on expensive accommodation, why would I miss out on staying with a local who knows the area? We had a great time with Scott and he even gave us tickets for a show he was doing at a theme park nearby. Technically we “couchsurfed”, but without the website. For anyone who does not know what couchsurfing is, here is a quick wrap-up: Couchsurfing.org is a worldwide online community where any registered users offer each other a couch to stay for free. The idea is to fight the isolating experience of a hotel and instead bring open-minded people from different cultures and countries closer together.

Couchsurfing is like tourism, but without the stereotypical tourist.

After our trip to Orlando we headed north again, this time for Charleston, South Carolina. We were on a quest to experience the Deep South. Of course we were disappointed to hear that the true Deep South is better represented in Alabama and Georgia. But when we met Kim McMillan, a great couchsurfer girl fromAlabama, things started to get really good. Our hostel in Charleston had no more beds free for the weekend so we had to post an emergency couchsurfing request. Two minutes later we got a message fromKimberleysaying she’s got space. She said that although she doesn’t live in Charleston she’s there for work and she can offer us some spare beds.

Alright, why not.

We met up and instantly connected. Kim took us to an annual couchsurfer meet up and we enjoyed the hell out of it. We learned how to play “Cornhole”, tried delicious pulled pork, and listened to live country music. Good times.

To top it off, Kim’s hospitality was just outrageous. In the hotel where we all stayed at, our host Kim slept on an inflatable bed just so all couchsurfers could sleep on real beds. You heard it right: Lars and I were not the only couchsurfers that day – we met two more who were staying with Kim. Incredible woman. I remember how Kim woke me up to tell me how the other two couchsurfers are driving north to DC and they could take us with them. In my laziness I turned down the offer to catch some more sleep. An hour later Lars and I woke up and it dawned on us:

Washington DC, north, road trip, adventure – wait a minute!

That was exactly what we wanted. Although we had planned to stay a couple more days in Charleston, we realized it would be much more fun to travel with the other couchsurfers. Kim called them up just in time before they were about to leave so we could embark on the adventure. With four people and a lot of luggage in the car we somehow managed to get the car moving. The two couchsurfers, Steve and his son Ryan, had planned to stay inRoanoke,Virginia for a couple of days before continuing to Washington DC. On the way there Lars posted another emergency couchsurfing request. Not even half an hour later we got a call from Luna. She told us she was away for the time we were there but we could stay at her empty apartment inRoanoke.

Wow.

I didn’t expect that level of trust – and as far as hospitality goes, this just blew my mind. Although we didn’t get a chance to meet our host we looked at pictures and books in the apartment and got to know Luna at least a little bit, even if not in person – very down to earth, good sense of humor and, judging by the amount of spices in her kitchen, a spice expert.

The Verdict.

My couchsurfing experience taught me one important thing: Hotels are boring, no matter how luxurious they are. Now don’t get me wrong here – if your main intention is to relax, a hotel is fine. But if you want to make lasting memories, experience a culture and meet good people, you better start surfing those couches now.

By Eugen Merher