We've been feeling pretty scattered and unorganized lately and the house needs some serious love. I had our place set to "coffee and a drink" for that reason, but we're getting to the point where we'd be comfortable having houseguests again. Our ability/desire to accommodate guests will vary from week to week though, so shoot me a message and we'll see what we can do. BUT before you do that, please read below first....
ATTENTION: We have been getting lots of requests lately - many cookie-cutter messages by people who have clearly not given much thought into selecting a host. Some people even start their letters with "Dear prospective couch" rather than addressing me by name! These requests will either be ignored or you will get an equally impersonal response declining your request. New to CS and need some tips on what a good request should look like? Read here:
http://www.couchsurfing.org/couchrequest_tips.html
If you have a complete profile with a picture, have read my profile, and are willing to send me a sincere and personalized CS request...please read on.
I live in a cozy house with my boyfriend (Miguel), a friend (Pahtrick), and a cat (Pandora). We live a pretty communal lifestyle and are fairly used to various people sleeping on our couches. Hosting for a few days at a time shouldn't be a problem as long as it works with our schedules & energy level (sometimes we are just too busy or tired during the week to have guests). And I'll obviously have to clear it with the roomies before I give you the official OK.
We have a studio/guest room that's attached to the main house. It's nice and private with a double-sized murphy bed that folds out from the wall. The room is sometimes free of occupants, but sometimes we rent it out through airbnb. If someone is already in the guest room, other sleeping options include:
-Two comfortable couches
-A few tents you can pitch in the backyard
Let's see...what else?
*We live on a major road in Austin (Red River), which is pretty central and a quick bike ride or bus ride to downtown and the campus area. We have some bikes you can borrow, but the bus stop is also a few blocks down the street and will take you where you need to go for $1 ($2 for a day pass).
*Our place is walking distance to bars, coffee shops, some good restaurants and food trailers, an anarchist bookstore that hosts fun events, a pool hall, a doughnut shop, some interesting vintage stores, convenience stores, and a large grocery store.
*We have wireless Internet and a communal computer that you're certainly welcome to use.
*We both lead busy lives and are not always able to show people around. If we are free, we'd love to! It's just not always possible. If nothing else though - we're always up for coffee in the morning and dinner or drinks in the evening.
*We like hosting independent folks who don't require a lot of hand holding. We have maps of Austin, a few extra bikes that can be borrowed, and lots of ideas of cool things to see and do in the area. Go out and explore our lovely city!
Aga Sekowski 29, Female Austin, Texas United States Friends since September 2004 "College, roommates, best friends, soon to be bike trip companion" Friendship Type: Best Friend 3
Mohammad Ath 26, Male Irbid, Irbid Jordan Friends since July 2004 "Close friends, met manny times and she is a family friend" Friendship Type: Close Friend 53
Kasia McNeilly 28, Female Warsaw, Mazovia Poland Friends since January 2002 "I met Cristen a long time ago and then lived with her for just over 2 years... in one of the best houses evar." Friendship Type: Close Friend
Saif Athamneh 24, Male Irbid, Irbid Jordan Friends since September 2005 "she is my twin ;)" Friendship Type: Best Friend 555
Ann Clemens 30, Female Austin, Texas United States Friends since February 2008 "we're neighbors" Friendship Type: Good Friend
Leah Yanez 28, Female Austin, Texas United States Friends since July 2007 "Cristen and I met through mutual friends. Being that they are amazing, Cristen is just as astounding." Friendship Type: Friend
JAQS 32, Female Brisbane, Queensland Australia Friends since December 2008 "We terrified some restauranteurs with vegan requests in Osaka" Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend
Aggie Branczyk 29, Female Toronto, Ontario Canada Friends since March 2011 "I surfed her couch" Friendship Type: CouchSurfing Friend 2
Ferhat Alkan 23, Male Istanbul, Istanbul Turkey Friends since August 2009 "I hosted her for 7 great days :D" Friendship Type: Good Friend I vouched for Cristen Andrews 7
Corey Torres 28, Male New Orleans, Louisiana United States Friends since December 2009 "She helped me ring in the new year!" Friendship Type: Friend 5
I like camping, hiking, swimming, biking, gardening, and being outdoors. I also like sipping tea on the porch, having a backyard bonfire with friends, cooking elaborate meals at home, working on various craft projects, cuddling with my cat and/or my dude, and watching a good movie.
I've lived in Austin my entire life and love the fact that there's always something interesting going on here. I try to find a balance between participating in an active city life and relaxing in my natural surroundings.
I am very low maintenance and can adapt to pretty much any situation. I can sit around chatting with people for hours, but I'm also content hanging out by myself (crocheting, cooking, reading, exploring).
I've been vegetarian for over 14 years and am trying my best to be vegan. I love introducing people to veganism through my cooking, but I am am never preachy or judgmental regarding other people's diet choices.
My interests are wide ranging and constantly expanding, so I enjoy dabbling in many different projects.
I love meeting new people and I love learning new things. Too many people isolate themselves from other cultures and viewpoints. I believe that if everyone would take some time to step outside their comfort zone, the world would be a much better place.
I currently work part-time for an Internet marketing company, part-time as a freelance educational writer.
Eventually I want to build my own house from scratch, open a guesthouse and community garden, and get enough steady freelance work that I can travel and work wherever/whenever I want.
How I Participate in CS
However I can.
CouchSurfing Experience
We've had many guests stay at our place - people from couchsurfing, airbnb, craigslist, friends of friends, and random folks from around town.
Couchsurfing has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people who I probably wouldn't have crossed paths with otherwise. I'm so grateful for all the lovely people I've met through this site and I hope we continue to keep in touch.
Live music, wild camping, sipping strong coffee, getting out of the city to see the stars, big texas skies, warm breezes, lounging in hammocks, walking aimlessly in a new place, abandoned buildings, waking up naturally by the sun.
Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. When something awkward or weird happens, just smile. Because if you take a step back, you'll probably realize it's just funny. And it'll make for a good story later.
Don't be afraid to get lost. Whether that means wandering on unmarked paths, exploring unknown places, or just getting lost in thought...this can be one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling experiences (especially when you find interesting things along the way).
Music, Movies, Books
Documentaries: The Future of Food; How's Your News; The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players; Born into Brothels; Realms of the Unreal; Who Killed The Electric Car?; Off the Charts; The Up Series; Who Are The Debolts?; Dark Days; The Natural History of the Chicken; Buena Visa Social Club; The Cruise; Another Planet; Burma VJ; Man on Wire; Word Wars; Grizzly Man, etc.
Wildlife Documentaries: Animals Are Beautiful People, The Secret Life of Plants, anything by David Attenborough
Other Films: Harold and Maude; Dancer in the Dark; Life is Beautiful; Il Mostro; City of God; Hotel Rwanda; The Gods Must Be Crazy; Triplets of Belleville; Dead Man; Edward Sissorhands; Cinema Paradiso; Eagle vs. Shark, etc.
Books: God of Small Things; The Glass Castle; The Glass Castle; Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight; Hitchhiking Vietnam; Love in the Time of Cholera; 100 Years of Solitude; The Pornography of Meat; Diet for a New America; Welcome to the Monkey House; Invisible Man; Tuesdays with Morrie; All the Shah's Men; Babylon by Bus; The Girl in the Picture; Down and Out in Paris and London; The Shock Doctrine; A Sideways Look at Time; vegan cookbooks; language books; photography books; travel guides; books about animals; anything non fiction, anything by Doctor Seuss
Music: I like almost anything if it's entertaining, unique, and fun to listen to: Rock, Jazz, Blues, Hip Hop, Folk, Classical, Ragtime, Mariachi, etc. etc.
Types of People I enjoy
I like people who are open minded, friendly, easy going, honest, sincere, considerate, confident, thoughtful, optimistic, and idealistic. People who care about other people, animals, and the environment. People who enjoy cooking and eating. People who don't take themselves too seriously and aren't afraid to flaunt their quirkiness.
Teach, Learn, Share
I'd like to learn more about sustainable living in general. I'd also like to learn how to juggle, whistle, and meditate (though probably not all at the same time). But really...I just love learning and I'd be excited to learn anything from anyone.
As for me, I'm a scavenger - I can find uses for things that others would probably discard. That goes for stuff, but it also goes for food. I like making yummy-tasting dishes out of the little bits and pieces left over in people's refrigerators and cupboards.
I can also discuss vegetarianism/veganism with anyone interested in learning about it, offer tips about traveling on a budget, and teach people how to crochet with plastic bags.
One Amazing Thing I've Seen or Done
I won a round the world ticket in a photo contest. To me, that is the most amazing thing ever! On my trip, I hiked on glaciers in New Zealand, snorkeled at the Ningaloo Reef in Australia, wandered around the snow in Japan, got adopted by monks in Vietnam, went on an Israeli cooking show in Thailand, danced at a wedding party in Laos, cycled around temples in Cambodia, saw a wild orangutan while hiking alone in Borneo, fell in love with India, swam in salt lakes and fresh springs in the Egyptian desert, found distant relatives in a Syrian village, got swept off my feet by a giant gust of wind on top of a crater in Iceland, and met up with a good friend in Ireland.
To me, traveling is like a choose your own adventure story. It's best to keep your options open and make your plans one day at a time. The most amazing things are those that are unexpected and unplanned.
Opinion on the CouchSurfing.org Project
This site is great. I have met so many interesting people already and I look forward to meeting more. It makes me happy to know that there are so many people all over the world who are willing to share their living space with complete strangers. Every person I've met through couchsurfing has inspired me in some way.
This summary is not a replacement for reading references; it's a quick summary to help you get started. At a glance, you can see how many references a member has, and how many of them are positive, neutral, and negative.
In the second line, you'll see how many references came from people who hosted this member, surfed with them, and traveled with them. These numbers won't always add up to the total: some references are not categorized, and some may be categorized as more than one thing.
When viewing this summary, don't jump to conclusions! Things that are negative for one person may be positive for another, and vice versa. It's important to read references carefully and evaluate what that information means to you.
Cristen and Miguel are role models for how I'd like to be in about a decade. Cristen is such a sweetheart and seems to have done a lot of amazing things in her time. Miguel is hilarious and crafty and smart for finding himself a lady like Cristen. Their house has a gorgeous southern porch, with a lovely backyard and fire pit, and a kitty I still dream about. After we got settled the two of them took us out on a double valentines day date of taco truckin', lone-star drinkin', chocolate eatin goodness. We vibed in a serious way with our humor and our stories, and gosh darn it are these people sweet. They left a bigger impression on me than they likely know, and I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see them again.
Cristen and Miguel were superb hosts. Exactly what you hope to find on couchsurfing. They were flexible with our needs, introduced us to a fantastic band while simultaneously showing us Austin's famous music scene, let us borrow some bikes, they included us in group meals (the food was amazing!), and were really laid back. Cristen even let us help her garden (haha, yes, we wanted to work in the garden). We also got to meet Cristen's very lovely mother and grandmother that day in the garden. They will always be welcome in our home to return the favor!
Our stay with Cristen was great! They were really helpful in suggesting things to do and places to go. Their room is so perfect for couch surfing and everything felt relaxed and welcoming. They were super thoughtful and fun to chat with. Great experience and hope we can return the favor soon!
Staying with Cristen and Miguel was an overwhelmingly positive experience. We spent a romantic Valentines Day eating delicious vegetarian tacos with Nutritional Yeast and catching a screening of Chocolat at the local Anarchist Bookstore--a VDay dream come true. Cristen and Miguel are incredibly funny, warm and generous and I hope that we'll meet again!!
Cristen and Miguel are deeply good people. Cristen has the most warm and nurturing energy I've ever encountered. Miguel offered us a beer in the first 7 seconds of us arriving. I felt completely welcomed and at ease in their home. They are the ideal hosts, giving us plenty of space to do our thing but always inviting us to join them for meals or going out. They gave wonderful advice about places to go and things to do. They lent us bicycles with lights and locks and a bike map. I was floored by how gracious, interesting, and laid-back they are. Our stay in Austin was wonderful and totally colored by our experience couch surfing with Cristen and Miguel. We miss them and hope they'll stop in Burlington when they make it to the Northeast.
Cristen and her boyfriend came up to Kansas City for a...wait a minute...Sweet child, oohhh Sweet Child O' Miiine...epic concert! She had such a welcoming and friendly face from the moment we met. I really felt at ease around her. Best of all she made a wonderful vegan dinner that was well received even in meat country! I would definitely host her again, maybe next time another old rock band comes through!? Welcome to the Jungle, we've got fun and games...
Cristen is a great person. I felt like I knew her for ages! She is open-minded person with who you can not be bored.We spend some evenings togather-drinking, eating and talking. She has a lots of passions. One of it is crocheting. I know that one day your hobby Cristen will make you famous!!! Hope to see one day in Austin!One more time-thank you for beautiful post-card and lovely time togather !!!!
Well, every cyclist is more than welcome. We spent the time talking about bikes, job and a little bit of plans. Cristen showed me ninja suit. She is so amusing girl. It was nice to host you. Keep going! PS. Thanks for bike maps!
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Trójmiasto Emergency Couch!
Poland
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