Ok, its understandable that you probably didn’t agree with all of that. But give me a moment to explain the virtues of CouchSurfing.org, and you might think differently about the idea.

In a nutshell, CouchSurfing is an international, online community that connects travelers to one another, most often by having its members offer their homes up as housing for other travelers. You communicate with other members through an online profile akin to a Facebook profile, which is used to contact potential hosts and receive housing requests from other members. Members have access to what can be thought of as the world’s largest hostel network; in turn, they “pay it forward” by extending the same courtesy to other travelers.

Most people greet this idea with familiar line of questioning: How could this be safe? What if I don’t want people staying at my house? Uhh, how could this be safe?

CouchSurfing uses several methods to ensure the safety of its members. The most important of these is the referral system, which gathers all of the comments from people who have hosted you and/or been hosted by you, and then posts these comments on your online profile. Other members then use these referrals as indicators of your dependability and as a way to decide whether they should host or contact you. Having positive referrals usually means people will be more willing to trust you, while a lack of referrals may hurt your chances to host or be hosted.

As with any  social network, the ultimate value and safety of CouchSurfing is entirely within in the hands of the user. You’ll never have to host someone if you don’t want to, and you can set guidelines as to how and when other members can stay at your place. For example, I always ask to speak on the phone with a person before I accept their housing request – I find it much more reassuring to talk to someone rather just relying on online correspondence.

Hosting isn’t even a requirement of the site. You can offer to meet travelers for a cup of coffee or to show them something in your city. In fact, many initial CouchSurfing users pick this option as a means to build referrals and confidence before offering to host travelers in their homes.

If you’re willing to get past the initial skepticism, you can reap some pretty amazing benefits  from the system. Having a worldwide network of places to stay on the cheap obviously opens up a great deal of possibilities for any traveler. But free housing isn’t as rewarding as being able to stay and interact with local hosts. Everyone says they don’t want to do the “touristy” things when they travel, but how can you really avoid this in a place you know nothing about?  CouchSurfing connects you with locals in a truly revolutionary way, and most hosts are more than willing to share their cultures and hometown idiosyncrasies with their guests. I’m always eager to show the best that Texas has to offer to visiting CouchSurfers.

The world is smaller than you think

There’s something grander at work here that’s worth noting. CouchSurfing brings together people and different cultures in ways that might not otherwise be possible. A rock band from Portland, a young couple from New York, a piano player from Idaho – these are just a few of the people I’ve come across due to CouchSurfing, and each one has been an eye-opening and remarkable experience. It’s a neat little idea that truly brings the world together.

I made a PDF summary of what CouchSurfing is all about – pass it on to anyone that may be interested in learning more. Happy surfing!

“What’s that?” you ask with wide-eyed wonder. According to Wikipedia (so BS, basically) snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. It’s featured in such movies as Home Alone and Die Hard 2.

Kidding aside, I’m in that segment of Texans that wishes we got more of the white stuff. The closest thing we get, namely ice, is far less enjoyable than the picturesque, white winter landscape a snowfall brings. Plus, you can have a good deal of fun with snow: skiing, sledding, boarding, and snowmen make for a pretty strong pro-snow argument.

It was this longing for crystalline water ice that brought me to the town of Crested Butte in Colorado. To my surprise, it turned out to be the closest thing to a Texas Winter Wonderland I have encountered.

The town has a nice folksy small town feel to it, and the locals certainly were some of the most welcoming people I’ve met while traveling. It’s also a bizarre mix of different demographic groups: stoner x-game hippies, high-spending metrosexuals, South American students, frat boys & sorority chicks, van-driving Christian families, and camo-wearing hunters all come together in this big little city.

But the group represented more than any other was Texans. I can’t remember meeting so many other lone-star citizens in a state not connected to Texas, and their imprint is certainly visible – imagine my glee at being able to get a cold Shiner Bock in most places in town. From arguing with a Red Raider fan in the lift line to discussing the merits of living in the DFW area with other hotel guests, it’s easy to feel the home state spirit in Crested Butte.

If you’re hurting for some snow and are reeling from post-holiday office work, I strongly recommend this little town. The prices are more affordable than usual right now, and the locals would definitely appreciate the tourist dollars – particularly from Texas. Perhaps a nice way to dodge the mid-recession, pre-Armageddon blues?