If you don't know of this site, it's an amazing idea. The premise is that "CouchSurfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit."
Basically you sign up, post a profile and then you can find events, couches to crash on, travel partners, etc. It works on the premise that people are good, and allows you to spread that wealth of goodness while opening up a whole new world when you're traveling. The point isn't a free place to stay, it's a cultural exchange. You learn about other people and their culture, while they learn about you.
It was through couchsurfing that I responded to a post, and ended up going to a Built to Spill concert with Bjorn in Stockholm, Sweden. The show was at Tyrol in Tivoli, an amusement park on Gröna Lund (view from the other side of the water).
When indicating your chances of attendance at an event, the site gives you the option to indicate if you need a couch. Which I did. So Bjorn offered, and there began my ascent into the world of couchsurfing.
He met me at the train station and I dropped my stuff off at his house and off we went. I spent the next 2 nights on his couch in Södermalm, a really cool area of Stockholm. In addition to the couch, the experience offered me the opportunity to see life through his eyes--growing up in Sweden, daily living in Stockholm, a glimpse at his travel experiences and his take on the world. I would definitely include this whole adventure as a life enriching experience.
In case you're wondering, the show itself was great. I've never stood in a better place, on a balcony slightly above the crowd and about 6 feet from the bar.
Below is a picture taken while Bjorn was giving me a walking tour of his city:
Thanks again for everything, my new friend Bjorn!! You're welcome to stay on my couch anytime! :)
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