Reflections on the fact that my apartment needs a guest book...

Since I have my own place now, I've been hosting a lot of couch surfers.  When I first changed my status to hosting, requests flooded in.  They have now receded to a much more manageable rate but it still seems as if I always have someone sleeping on my floor.  And I love it.  A few months back I hosted two guys from Germany who were down on their luck hitching from LA to Portland.  It reminded me of all the times Keki and I picked up last minute hosts who completely saved us.  Showing surfers around Sacramento gives me a new appreciation for my home and, let's be real, no one ever complained about a stroll around the capital.  I've hosted people trying to move to Sacramento who needed a home base for interviews.  I've hosted tourists and people on business trips and folks just passing through from the mountains to San Fransisco.

It's made me reflect on my own couchsurfing experiences and realize I'm not nearly as nice of a surfer as I could be.  I mean.  I always tried to cook a little or take my host out for a drink.  But everyone who has stayed with me has really gone above and beyond.  I come back to a clean apartment or a treat in the fridge regularly.  Surfers have taken me out to nice meals and gone to events with me.  They all say they feel it's right because they so appreciate me opening up my home but really I think I get the better deal of all this.  Fun stories, good company, and excuse to get out of the house or have a home cooked meal.  Even though it means that most of my friends are transient, I love having them about.

Being a couchsurf host isn't an obligation (as I used to think it would be)... it's an absolute joy.  Almost more fun than surfing!

I haven't really been able to connect with the CS community in Sacramento yet because the new site format really throws me and I just can't seem to connect with anyone but it's probably only a matter of time... I have to bring some of those Salamanca CS parties to life in California, claro.

And hopefully soon I will also be hosting friends from all over.  Devin comes into town in a few days and there's a possibility of visits from friends in August and more in the Fall.  It's about time y'all started coming to visit from the East (yeah, I'm talking to you, c.williams!).... I'll have my "couch" waiting.