16 Days to Go!!!

Heya!

The day we fly out is drawing ever so closer and both Ben and I are beginning to jump around spontaneously at random moments and without warning. I’ve got my things to do list and I’m trying to get through as much as I can. Today I’ve put together a documents folder of all my scanned credit cards and passports to leave at home in case of an emergency as well as stored all travel documents on my Gmail account for easy access.

I’m busily contacting all the people that we’ll be staying with in the UK and the other day I promised to tell you how we managed to get three weeks of accommodation free! So here it is. It’s called couch surfing and despite it being free, the best thing about it is actually meeting people and getting a taste of their culture first hand. Ben and I both agreed that we wanted to not be typical tourists (though I’m sure we’ll look like ones) and just see the touristy things like museums and galleries and famous buildings but also enjoy a beer in a small town pub with the locals, discover the little known hidden corners of cities and loose ourselves in accents that we can barely understand! Couch surfing does all that!

Couch surfing is a way of teaching and learning about other people’s cultures and lives and it’s nice to know too that when we arrive in a city that there will be someone there waiting for us to help us out and orientate us.

Yes all of the people we’re staying with we haven’t met before but we’ve talked through emails and phone calls and we’re able to read references about each other so in the end it’s safer than staying in a 10 person dormitory in a hostel where you don’t know anyone.

Traveling with Ben also helps and makes it safer but if I was to travel on my own, I’d still consider couch surfing.

So what’s the catch? There is none. The whole idea is based on not only being a guest but also a host. If you’re invited to stay on someone’s couch than it’s important that you can eventually return the favour. If you live in a tent with no couch then you offer to be a guide if they visit or take them out for coffee. The whole concept is brilliant and I look forward to hosting after my trip cos hosting people from other countries is like traveling to those countries for free and without even leaving home!

Anyway, that’s my little rant for today. I’m starting to get frazzled and I’m going to book myself a massage before I leave too. 16 more days! I don’t think I can wait that long!!!!!