I've written a good bit about Couch Surfing in my past travelogs. After all, it has been the single most valuable resource to me as I've traveled the country, taking my show on the road.
In short, CS is an online social network - a community of like-minded travelers and hosts - built on the values of generosity, hospitality, and reciprocity. In my many travels I've had the great privilege of staying, playing (music, kickball, and/or board games!), eating, drinking, partying, conversing, watching movies, roadtripping, ridesharing, (water) surfing, geo-caching (..and so on!) with dozens of Couch Surfers all across the country. Each has been a joy to meet and spend time with, and time was the only expense - they never charged me a dime! Instead, we engage in mutual exchange, teaching and sharing stories and experiences, skills and recipes.
Most of my hosts have been far more generous and accommodating than I ever would expect of them. They became tour guides, personal chefs, entertainers, and instant friends in strange lands. Thus I have been really bummed that over the past three years, living in NYC, I've been unable to host Couch Surfers myself, to reciprocate all of the generosity and hospitality I've received from the community.
But right now there's a chance for me to pay it forward in a different way! Allow me to introduce you to SOFA, a Munich-based magazine all about Couch Surfing.
The three lovely ladies in the video below are putting their heads and hands together to make an amazing digital magazine for the iPad. They are now raising money through the popular arts-based crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
In short, CS is an online social network - a community of like-minded travelers and hosts - built on the values of generosity, hospitality, and reciprocity. In my many travels I've had the great privilege of staying, playing (music, kickball, and/or board games!), eating, drinking, partying, conversing, watching movies, roadtripping, ridesharing, (water) surfing, geo-caching (..and so on!) with dozens of Couch Surfers all across the country. Each has been a joy to meet and spend time with, and time was the only expense - they never charged me a dime! Instead, we engage in mutual exchange, teaching and sharing stories and experiences, skills and recipes.
Most of my hosts have been far more generous and accommodating than I ever would expect of them. They became tour guides, personal chefs, entertainers, and instant friends in strange lands. Thus I have been really bummed that over the past three years, living in NYC, I've been unable to host Couch Surfers myself, to reciprocate all of the generosity and hospitality I've received from the community.
But right now there's a chance for me to pay it forward in a different way! Allow me to introduce you to SOFA, a Munich-based magazine all about Couch Surfing.
The three lovely ladies in the video below are putting their heads and hands together to make an amazing digital magazine for the iPad. They are now raising money through the popular arts-based crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
Please check out their campaign and consider supporting their efforts to bring more attention to this great resource for travelers (and all kinds of other interesting people) the world over, to share many of those stories, experiences, skills, recipes (and more!) of this worldwide community, made up of people from every country and culture with access to the internet!
From the looks of the video they've created, their magazine is going to be really flippin cool. So have a look and consider throwing a few bones their way. You need they! Or.. wait.. um.. THEY NEED YOU!
From the looks of the video they've created, their magazine is going to be really flippin cool. So have a look and consider throwing a few bones their way. You need they! Or.. wait.. um.. THEY NEED YOU!
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