Be a Couchsurfer and Enjoy an Amazing Journey. This year, 25-year-old Li He, while graduating, chose to embark on a “couchsurfing” adventure when most of his classmates were busy job hunting. He stayed for free in the homes of hosts and traveled to 4 countries on just 3,300 yuan.
Graduation Kicks Off the Couchsurfing Journey
Couchsurfing essentially means offering a free place to stay. When you’re traveling in another city, you can stay in someone else’s home for free. And when friends come from afar, you can also invite them to stay at your place. With a free couch, even those on a tight budget can travel far and wide. The exchange of accommodations among couchsurfers is voluntary, not obligatory. It doesn’t mean that if you stay with someone today, they must host you in return someday. This takes away much of the psychological pressure. Li He, a 25-year-old from Shijiazhuang, is a 2009 civil engineering major at the Sifang College of Shijiazhuang Tiedao University. He graduated in July this year. In his senior year, Li He read the book “A Journey of a Thousand Miles: My Sleep on Other People’s Sofas,” which inspired him to pack his bags and start his own couchsurfing journey, just like the protagonist Leo in the book. When planning his graduation trip, 80% of his classmates had already found jobs, and he had even secured an interview for a civil engineering technician position at a state-owned enterprise.
But after much deliberation, he ultimately chose the graduation trip. “Some things, if not done now, might never be done.” To save up for the trip, he worked as a tutor for nine months during his senior year, earning 8,000 yuan. To cut costs, he made advance arrangements with couchsurfers in Chengdu, Hefei, and Brunei through a couchsurfing website.
Staying for Free in Hosts’ Homes
On June 22, Li He set off on his graduation journey. He traveled to domestic cities such as Zhengzhou, Xi’an, Wuhan, and Hefei, as well as three foreign countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. His total expenditure came to just 3,300 yuan.
For domestic cities, he mostly hitchhiked, and he stayed with local couchsurfing hosts. For overseas trips, he purchased his plane tickets in advance the previous year.
To stay with a local host, you need to make arrangements in advance on a couchsurfing website. On June 26, Li He arrived in Chengdu. Through prior arrangement, he met American host Charlie, who had been living in Chengdu for six years. In Chengdu, the two talked about travel and dreams, and Charlie even gave Li He the key to his home.
On August 7, Li He arrived in Hefei and stayed at the home of host Xiao Han. Twenty-three-year-old Xiao Han owns an 80-square-meter apartment near Sanxiaokou, where Li He stayed in the guest room.
During the day, while Xiao Han was at work, Li He explored attractions such as Xiaoyaojin Park and Baogong Park on his own. In the evening, after Xiao Han got off work, he took Li He to visit Women’s Street and Huaihe Road Night Market, where they sampled Hefei’s special delicacies.
Couchsurfing Is Rooted in Mutual Trust
Li He had no prior connection or acquaintance with either Charlie or Xiao Han. The chance encounters between these two strangers relied entirely on the trust built into the couchsurfing community.
On the couchsurfing website, every user must undergo real-name verification and submit a real photo upon registration. Most couchsurfers are young people who love to travel and make friends, all united by a common goal.
Li He said that, in reality, people don’t need to be overly guarded. Once he starts working, he also plans to offer his couch to other travelers. “Couchsurfing just means staying in someone’s home. Usually, you go out to eat on your own, and sometimes you might even treat your host. When going out together, we always strictly split the bill.” Xiao Han added. Of course, couchsurfers must consider their own safety, register through official couchsurfing websites, and learn as much as possible about their hosts.
Li He learned a lot from this trip. “Travel has boosted my confidence and earned me the trust of strangers. This is the motivation that keeps me moving forward. Only by stepping out can you realize how small and ordinary you are, and how vast and amazing the world is.”
Term Explanation
“Couchsurfer” means “sleeping on someone else’s couch.” You sleep on their couch, they sleep on yours—that’s the original idea behind couchsurfing. The term “couchsurfing” comes from a global couchsurfing travel website called “Couchsurfing.” It was founded on January 1, 2003, by an American young man named Casey Fenton. The idea originated from an overseas trip. As of now, it has over 2.4 million registered members across 245 countries (regions), with tens of thousands of new members joining each week.