Nova Scotia Comes Alive in 2011!

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Couch-Surfing to See Nova Scotia

Submitted by Kim on Monday, 3 August 2009One Comment

“Hey man, could I crash at your pad?”

In the early 1970′s we used to call it “crashing.” This request could be made of almost any young person you met who had his or her own place and, in most cases, the request was granted. It was an unwritten code from the same page that required you to pick up hitchhikers. In other words you never went by a guy, gal or group on the side of the road with thumbs stuck out without stopping. And it wasn’t only naivite, it was the way things were until disco swept the neighborhood and weirdos and posers hit the roads.

See the World on a Couch

Today, it is called “couch surfing” and in a few short years it has become a phenomenon; a way to see the world without spending money on hotels, crowded hostels and tourist traps. In addition, you can experience the genuine culture of of the person who accommodates you. In addition, it is a great way to connect with like-minded earth-movers and meet with hospitable locals around the country and the globe.

Before you say, “Well, that’s not for me ’cause I’m not 19 anymore” consider that there are a wide variety of couch surfing venues that can accommodate many tastes. The term “couch” can be defined as an air mattresses, futon, cot, private bedroom or floor space out of the elements.

For a young party crowd there can be a group house or for a retired couple there can be a cozy farmhouse or a bunk on a sailboat.

Getting Started

The way to get started is to go CouchSurfing.com and sign up. For those of you who are unsure here are the rules:

1. Verification: For $25US your name is verified. Although not a fail-safe system it helps to build your credibility as a ouch surfer. You are sent a [postcard with your login number. Those who haven’t completed this process can be filtered out.

2. References: Every time you couch surf you build up credibility and, conversely, the “pad” gets a reputation.

3. Vouching: Couch surfing began by people “vouching” for others and this grows the more you surf.

To date, there are more than 1,000,000 members from 232 countries. So go to CouchSurfing.com and get on the sofa.