The CouchSurfing Project helps members make connections worldwide. They can use the network to meet people and then go and surf other members’ couches! When they surf a couch, they are a guest at someone’s house. The host provides some sort of accommodation, a penthouse apartment or maybe a backyard to pitch a tent in. Stays can be as short as a cup of coffee, a night or two, or even a few months or more. When offering a couch, the host has complete control of who visits.

The idea solidified when founder, Casey Fenton, got a cheap ticket to Iceland for a long weekend one April. With his ticket in hand, there was one problem: He had no place to stay and no desire to rot in a hotel all weekend and play Mr. Tourist. So, he came up with the “brilliant” idea of spamming over 1500 Icelandic students in Reykjavik and asking them if he could crash on one of their couches. After exchanging emails with many of the students, he had several groups of friends offer to show him “their” Reykjavik. So, after spending an amazing, crazy weekend just south of the Arctic Circle, never again would Casey get trapped into a hotel and tourist marathon while traveling. From that point onward, it was all about crashing on exotic couches. And, thus, the Couch- Surfing Project was born.

There are currently over a hundred Ambassadors roaming the world, spreading the ideals of the CouchSurfing Project to people everywhere.


Links: http://www.couchsurfing.com

The CouchSurfing Project is a non-profit community dedicated to making the world a better place through intercultural interaction and understanding. Anyone with a thirst for adventure who also enjoys cultural exploration and interaction can join. Currently there are about 8,000 members (estimated as of March 2005).