Under the same roof

   Early morning. An unknown place, unknown people, scurrying around with big bags, suitcases. And we are waiting for an unknown girl, who promised to meet us. After some time we see a girl, she is smiling and waving to us. Soon we find ourselves at her huge light kitchen. We drink tea with cheese sandwich, tell her about our journey a bit, but we will have an opportunity to chat later, and now she has to go to work, so she gives us her key to the flat and leaves us. Welcome to Kiev.

   Midday sun is scorhing. A mountain village. We are on the road and we need some place to stay. The family, living on Abrikosovaya street (amazing name, isn’t it?) is waiting for us. A two-storied house with wonderful green garden. Again we drink tea, but this time with honey and fritters, laugh and chat as If  we've known each other for ages. Welcome to Simferopol.

  Late evening. We are sitting on the grass, after hitch-hiking for several hours, waiting for the bus which will bring us to the house we need.  Later we are in a big flat, where other travelers meet us and fill cups for us with Turkish tea. Welcome to Kharkov.

  How is that possible? The answer is Couchsurfing. All that you need is the Internet and desire to go somewhere. To be hosted by somebody from CS doesn’t mean just come for a night or more, like we do that in hotels. It means to become part of one family for some time, to share something with each other. Culture, traditions, experience, hobbies, interests, opinions and, after all, food and the roof above your head. Also you can get advice where to go in this city, or even better – you can go together to discover some places, to meet a lot of different and unusual people. Sometimes nobody knows a city better than a CS member and you might have an opportunity to visit place which you would never even hear about without a CS member.

   Once a traveler from the USA said me: “the best thing in CS is that you never know completely who will open the door and what you will do together”

   Of course, if it is possible to be a guest, it is also possible to host other people from all over the world. Every guest could change your life, and who knows – you could be the best friends later.

  My first experience in hosting was the day when I decided to host five girls from Poland at once. Somebody could say it is too many, but despite this fact I accepted their request. It was wonderful days we spent together and great experience. It is strange but after a year other five people from Poland wanted to come (not that Poles are able to travel only in a group of five, it was just a coincidence, I think), and I again decided to host them. This time I couldn't even thinkof refusing them. My flat turned into some magic place, filled with Polish songs, films, stories about everything; we cooked together, played some games, sang and danced.

  Couchsurfing is a amazing thing, it destroys stereotypes and makes believe that there are still a lot of wonderful kind people, and our world is not so bad as it could be seen from TV, newspapers and other media. CS is for those who can open their heart to unknown people. It is soul of any travel, if you are still able to believe in kindness of the people. If you are not, try and you will