Couch Surfing

-This blog was written at a coffee shop in Vancouver, British Columbia around noon PST on 9/17-

My first couch surfing experience was in Yakima, Washington with an older retired man. He had a lot to teach me and I listened with great interest. I work on keeping my mouth closed when meeting others. I have so much to learn. It's crazy how much I don't know. I've gotten exponentially better at stepping outside my comfort zone, but I will forever have work to do. I enjoy learning from people and hearing their stories - the main reason I'm so excited about surfing couches.

For those with no idea what I'm talking about when I say "Couch Surfing", it's a website where people make profiles like on Facebook and open up their homes to travelers. You request a stay on their couch, or floor, or extra room and they then decide if they want or can host you for the requested nights. I'm done with motels - hostels, couch surfing, or friends and family - or of course camping - will be my modes of sleep from here on out.

I'm lucky enough to have family living north of Seattle and I spent three nights there. My cousin Sarah and her boyfriend Dusty live in Marysville, Washington and her brother Doug was visiting from Connecticut. A nice little family reunion. It's difficult living in such lavish conditions and then hitting the road again. I ate delicious meals, sampled wines at local vineyards, saw the Red Sox win thanks to a David Ortiz home run at Safeco, and spent quality hours catching up and sharing time with my cousins. Sarah and Dusty have a beautiful new home and it's one of the many things on this road trip I'm grateful for. If I was back in CT teaching I would not have been in Washington...I would not have seen Sarah...and to much time would have spanned between our seeing each other.

On the last day of my stay Doug and I spent the whole day checking out Seattle. We took an underground tour to learn some history of Seattle, ate some goodies in Pike's Place Market, rode to the top of the Space Needle, and enjoyed jamming out in the "Experimental Music Project" museum. We did it all in the best weather for experiencing Seattle....rain.

I left Marysville late that same night, heading north with a heavy heart and hope the wait isn't too long before I see Doug and Sarah again.

I had trouble at the border. Canada has no interest for unemployed bums entering their country and apparently they keep immaculate never disappearing records. Five years prior me and my college friends were denied access to Canada for having "insufficient funds". I laughed when I was told in this current drama we had only $35 between the three of us at the time. Canada had not forgotten and even though five years had passed they still assumed (correctly) that I was a poor bum and deserved interrogation before being allowed into their country. I went inside the border office and needed to explain what I was doing. My answers didn't help my cause...

"What do you do for work Matt?"

"I'm unemployed - I quit my job to travel."

"Who are you staying with in Canada?"

"My friend Celeste."

"Celeste who?

"Uhhhh...I don't know I just met her yesterday on a website called "Couch Surfing"."

"Couch what???"

After some explaining by me and lecturing by her I was granted access to British Columbia, Canada. She told me to plan for extra time next time I enter their country. Apparently since I was denied access in 2005 for not having enough money I will forever be assumed to be crossing the border with no money and made to go into the office to explain myself. That makes a whole lot of sense. At least when the third time comes around I'll know it's coming.

Celeste is an obsessive traveler like myself and I was fortunate to catch her while she's home working for a few months. She practically jumped out of her seat to plan a bike route for me through Vancouver. A bike route I'm currently on.

Canada was unplanned - I'm not sure what I'm doing up here....but for me - this is perfect.

-Celeste was my tour guide for two nights - I will need a lot more white space to detail my Vancouver stay - Until next blog....