How to Repay Your CouchSurfing Host

Unlike with work exchange arrangements, there isn't the built-in structure of "I work for my room and board" that may alleviate any feelings of guilt or intrusiveness towards your host.

I find it absolutely impossible to remain guilt-free while a [potential] host opens their home to me, and especially if he/she/they are super welcoming upon my arrival. Here are a few things I've done to repay them under the "free" CouchSurfing system:

1. Bring a gift from your last stop
This one is easy enough! Depending on your budget and the hosts' interests, you can pick up a gift food item at the supermarket in the country before your host's, or you can purchase hand crafts, small home decorations, etc. Most supermarkets I've been to have had a "gourmet gift" section.

2. Make them dinner with ingredients you purchased yourself... And clean up afterwards!
Again, if you're not super loaded, this can be made with super cheap ingredients if you possess the ability to transform them into something tasty! 



The nice thing about this one is that you can have a nice dinner with them as well. Depending on your guilt level, you may do this more than once. During a week in Italy, I cooked for my hosts every day! Remember to be mindful of allergies/dietary restrictions, and gauge their reaction to your cooking. When in doubt, cook just enough for everyone and low-pressure invite them to help themselves to the meal you prepared, rather than sit them down and tell them you are making dinner.

3. Help them around the house if you see them cleaning, hanging laundry, etc., but only if they don't mind! 
Some people will legit not want you to touch their clean laundry (I say that because I am one of those people), but you can offer an, "Are you sure? I'd love to help!" if they refuse the first time.

4. Replace their toilet paper if possible
I go through paper towels like nobody's business, because to me they are sterile surfaces that can be used for any situation. Knowing that about myself, I'll buy replacement paper towels at the store, and while I'm there, I'll throw in a pack of toilet paper. If my budget is tight and I can only afford the quarter-ply (lol, is that even a thing?), I'll use it myself rather than use up my hosts' luxurious 7-ply.

5. Minimize your impact as much as possible
This should go without saying, but you don't want to be the sloppy roommate, the guest who runs up utility bills to crazy heights, or the person who steals all the bandwidth (for those with limited internet plans). Sure, you will need to take a shower (for your sake and your hosts') but don't forget to clean up AFTER you clean up. 

6. Write them a great reference
But only if it's the truth! A lot of other travelers will be counting on your honest opinion!

7. Give the people what they want
Within reason! Remember, hosts each have a different motivation for hosting. Some may do it for company, and if that's the case, make sure to spend some time with them! Talk to them about their interests, share a few of your own. Exchange little things about your cultures! If you're social and like to meet other people, go out with them and meet their friends!

Some do it for karma. They may be planning a trip in the near or distant future, and they need either some spiritual kudos or actual references on CouchSurfing. Again, if they are great hosts, it should be no problem writing something truthful.

Some do it to learn more about other cultures. In that case, be a great ambassador for your country! Introduce them to beloved dishes, talk about the different customs you are used to, share with them a few words in your native tongue (even among English-speakers, there are different expressions/slang words depending on both the country and the region), and have a conversation with them! 

In addition to all of these, some hosts may want to show you what their country is like, and might take the initiative in planning some fun outings for the two of you to do together! When friends of mine come to visit my neck of the woods, I already have a list of what we can do, and I both know and hope that they will enjoy it. A good host, however, knows that a guest will have his/her own plans for the area and will not force their plans on you every hour of every day.

Above all else... Be safe!! A roof over your head doesn't mean that unsafe situations should be tolerated. Some hosts are not emotionally or mentally ready to host a guest, so in some cases you will either need to A) bow out secretly, B) bow out politely, C) make yourself scarce for most of the trip.

Happy surfing!

Review: Seven OceanS Standard Emergency Ration

A lovely, subtly sweet ration that happens to be vegan-friendly.

Inside of this (quite heavy) box is waterproof/disaster-proof packaging, and once that part is opened, the rations are wrapped in a tight plastic (not super waterproof), and sectioned into 9 bars wrapped in a kind of parchment paper. Each of those 9 bars is made up of two cute little squares, one of which is a pretty filling snack that's slightly sweet with a neutral-to-coconut taste.

I bought two of these boxes, and after three months I still hadn't finished the 2nd box. I didn't use it as my primary source of food, but when I didn't have anything else, it was a satisfying meal replacement.

They're not soft or chewy to start, but they break off similarly to a hard apple, and they crumble in your mouth and don't make you thirsty. If they weren't so high in calories, I'd probably eat them as a snack. Or maybe I could still eat them, and try to exercise the extra calories off?

Overall: 5/5

Review: Dr. Bronner's All-One Hemp Lavender Pure Castille Soap

In the interest of saving space, you may opt for an all-in-one type of soap that can simultaneously wash your face, your hair, your body, and your clothes. A miracle, right?

I knew I was taking a chance on it since I didn't want to try it out first before my trip (who knew how long those bars would last, after all)! Let's examine the results:

Face: It was good enough to wash off "traveler's face," but as my skin can be quite sensitive, I didn't feel like it really got it as clean as specialized facial cleansers.

Hair: It lathered up really nicely and seemed to do the job, but once all of the soap was washed out, my hair (even in the shower) was incredibly dry, and I couldn't run my fingers through it without getting them tangled. Some residue remained as well, and didn't get my hair quite as clean as I was used to.

Body: Worked great as a body wash, which I'm sure was its original intention.

Clothes: Got them smelling really nice, but if it wasn't properly dissolved into the water (which could take some time), little bits would remain. And it didn't completely, 100% get rid of all of the various smells my clothes picked up from me and the environment. It was more like a nice perfume with an 85%-odor removal rate.

I would still use it as a body wash, but if I were to do my trip over again, with all of the WWOOFing and walking and all of that, I would just pick up my normal shampoo in travel size, have a separate facial cleanser, and some laundry detergent packets (probably would keep the inside of my bag fresh as well)!

Overall: 3/5

Packing a Carry-On to WWOOF for Three (3) Months in Europe

It's easier than you think.

Bag: The CABIN 1 Travel Backpack

The same one I used for 1-1/2 weeks in Japan last year

Packing Cubes: Eagle Creek Pack-It Organized Traveler System Set

4 years old, and still going strong!
(Not pictured: Long, narrow pack)

Big Cube: Clothes (rolled into bundles)

- Lightweight, knitted dolman sweater

- Long-sleeved top by Under Armour (quick-dry, anti-microbial)

- Long tank top

- Cami

- 2 lightweight cardigans

- 2 skirts

- 2 light, wrinkle-resistant mini-dresses

- 2 pairs of leggings

- 2 bras

- 6 pairs of quick-dry, athletic performance socks

- 3 pairs of quick-dry underwear

- 3 pairs of normal underwear

- 2 pairs of colored tights

You bet your ass I rocked those same three outfits every day

Medium Cube: Emergency items + some toiletries
- Dr. Bronner's multi-purpose travel soap/shampoo/laundry detergent (Review)
- Facial cleansing bars
- Action Wipes
- First Aid kit
- Emergency rations by Seven OceanS (Review)
- Water purification tablets

Small Cube: To be pulled out for TSA
- Wire headbands, bandanas, accessories, and liquid items (sunscreen, toothpaste, etc.)

Long, Narrow "Cube": Toiletries
- Tweezers, facial wipes, clippers, razors, feminine products, etc.)

Not in cubes: 
- Umbrella
- Sun hat
- Camera (wouldn't have brought one, but I got it as a gift at the very last moment)
- Flats (in a bag)
- Travel documents/notebook with important info
- Rainboots (on my feet)

Should have brought, but didn't for some reason:
- Sandals (forgot)
- A washcloth (forgot)
- Jacket (act of rebellion?)*
*Actually, I didn't bring the jacket in order to save space, but I overestimated my thermodynamic power.
- Lightweight raincoat (couldn't find it, and I wasn't about to buy a new one)
- My skincare arsenal (I thought I would go natural for a while, but my skin did not fare as well as I thought it would)

Things I told myself I wouldn't bring, but I bought anyway once I was there:
- Makeup (stupid me)

My Experience with Norwegian Air

Booking on the website is straightforward (and cheap!) and I was worried a bit that the catch would be in the flight experience itself.

Luckily, from the get-go, it was a pleasant experience that matched every other flight I'd had up until that point.

Check-In: I flew out on a Friday evening and was at the airport by late afternoon. Literally no one else was in line, and I started to pull one of these:

That's me in the yellow hat.

After turning a couple of corners, the nice guy at the check-in counter came to fetch me, and brought me straight up to the front, where he processed my boarding pass with efficient courtesy.

I didn't pay extra for check-in luggage, or an in-flight meal, or headphones, or anything else, really. Just bare bones all the way. He asked if I had any luggage to check in, and I said no, but I asked him if he needed to weigh my carry-on backpack, and he smiled and said that there was no need. "We're not Ryanair," he said.

Burn! Love it.

Boarding: The boarding process was pretty standard, and so were the seats. As I boarded a little bit later, there didn't seem to be any room in the compartment over my seat, but there was a little bit of space in the one next to it, so it all worked out.

Meals/Snacks: Food-wise, even though I didn't order any meals in advance, I was still able to order snacks from the little TV, and it was priced as you would expect, i.e. airport prices. They had a variety of drinks, alcohol, snacks, and mini-meals like sandwich + potato chip combos. Vegan fare was about standard, and if you don't plan on ordering a meal with your flight, it would be a good idea to pack your own snacks for the trip.

Entertainment: There was a surprisingly great selection of TV shows and movies! Among the best I've seen, actually. It made the 10-11-hour flight pass by really quickly.

Temperature: I know it gets cold up there, but I have never had a flight as cold as Norwegian. Granted, it was mid-April, and I didn't bring a jacket, and I didn't purchase a blanket, so maybe it just seemed colder to me. If I weren't so in the budget zone, I would have caved and "bought" a blanket.

The way back was much better, temperature-wise, because I had bought a jacket during my trip. Food-wise, not so much, since I told myself I wouldn't buy any snacks or food. (More on that another time.)

MegaMan: me
Jigglypuff: my hunger

Probably the worst part about it was realizing I left my earphones at my last host's place.

Overall Score: 5/5. Go Norwegian!

WWOOF, Workaway, and Couchsurfing As a Shy or Introverted Person

Of couse by introverted, I don't mean shy, and vice versa. People can be shy and still want to be around people, and others (like myself) are true introverts who crave solitude but happen to have bubbly demeanors. An area where there may be some overlap is in terms of comfort around others, which can range from feeling nervous to feeling exasperated. I come off as very polite and enthusiastic in the beginning, but the longer I'm left to fill in gaps in conversation, the more suspect the flow of my speech becomes.

Because of the obligation to "earn one's keep" and the perhaps paranoid need to be thought of positively as a guest, shy or introverted people may hesitate at the idea of offering conversation as part of this exchange. 

me: i want to stay in my room
living room: i got wi-fi

To start, the differences between WWOOFing/Workawaying and Couchsurfing are the following:

1) Work exchanges require work (generally 20-25 hours per week, with exceptions), for accommodation and meals (generally 3 meals a day, again with exceptions)
2) Couchsurfing involves no exchanges of money; however there is an implied social aspect (to an extent!) or cultural exchange involved.

Because of the structure of host-volunteer has more expectations built in than the host-guest relationship, a great fallback is the phrase, "What can I help you with?" However, if you suffer from a fear of imposing on others, you may find yourself stretching yourself thin with that phrase for the sake of being "no trouble at all" to your hosts. At one Workaway host, I found myself working all day and having very little personal time, which I outwardly pretended to have no problem with, though inside I just wished to have some quiet time to myself sitting in a room and staring at my phone. 

You may think to yourself that you'd be able to compartmentalize your travel/personal time with official "work" time, but so did I. Ask yourself the following questions:

1) At your current or previous job(s), do you often take on more than you can handle or want to handle?
2) When you owe a friend or family member something (like money), how do you feel during the time before you can pay him/her back?
3) Do you feel comfortable going into a stranger or new acquaintance's refrigerator and taking food or drink?
4) Do you wait to be offered something (a seat, food, to enter someone's house) before taking it if you don't know the person well?
5) If your host was working to the bone, would you feel comfortable going, "Ok, bye!" and leaving him/her to sweat it out?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you may have to make a more conscious effort to avoid feeling guilty when (and I mean when) you have to leave projects unfinished or help yourself to the pantry.

The honest truth is that many of these hosts have a never-ending list of things they would like to accomplish, and sometimes it helps to think of it like you're running out the clock.

What I did was spend no longer than two weeks in any one place, and by the end of that length of time, I was excited to get moving to the next place!

On the flip side, Couchsurfing requires no formal work, but the lines are blurred when it comes to personal time vs. time with hosts.

Hopefully, you and your host(s) set some expectations from the beginning, but as with many introverted people, sometimes your words can come across a lot more enthusiastic and outgoing than you may feel following a long flight and before a long shower. In those cases, sometimes you have to tough it out, or come up with different ways to repay your hosts' kindness!


Next: How to Repay Your Couchsurfing Host

Is there a grocery store inside Arlanda Airport?

Unfortunately, no, but there are convenience stores that stock cheaper food than the restaurants. If you're not able to hit up a grocery store before you get to the airport (they're closed, they're too out of the way, etc.), I would stick with the one on the ground floor at Terminal 5 Departures.

There are two of these guys, actually.

And one more past security toward the F gates

Whenever I arrive at a new airport, I never know whether or not the post security area is fantastically better than pre-security, and in this case I took a gamble. There are no other "cheap" food items outside of News | Deli, WH Smith, and Duty Free, Express, where both the prices and the selection were considerably "fancier". If you need to get anything, get it before security! (Except for water, of course.) 

Where to eat a cheap lunch in Stockholm, Sweden

Across the street from the Central Station, and about a minute's walk south, is the Vasagatan 18 stop where you can board the free IKEA shuttle to Kungens Kurva!

Monday-Friday (shuttle does not run on weekends)

Transit time: Approx. 20 minutes

Apart from supermarkets, this has to be the cheapest place I've purchased food in Stockholm, with prices ranging from 10 SEK for a simple side salad to 80-ish SEK for more filling meals. I picked up a 5 SEK coffee/tea cup by the register, and because of my poor Swedish, I don't know whether my free refills were legal or not. I had a small side salad, a densely delicious roll of bread, and coffee for ~ 14 SEK = $1.80 USD. Throw in free transportation and 7 levels of Dante's Ikea, and you have yourself a cheap day out! And even if you're not looking to spend your time in Stockholm at an IKEA, it's worth a quick stop for the cheap food, relaxed ambience, and free wifi.

Ikea Kungens Kurva Lockers

For 10 kronor (the tiny 10 coin), you can store a carry-on size bag at the lockers by the restrooms. And when I say bag, I mean, I literally had to squish my carry-on-approved backpack into the space, so it's likely you may not be able to store any type of luggage with wheels.

Many empty lockers were available at 11:30 AM on a Friday morning, but YMMV. There were around 48-ish lockers, all the same size. Pop the coin into the slot inside of the door before closing, and hold onto the key! Remember which locker you used, because the key doesn't have the number etched on there. Then upon retrieval of your bag, you get your coin back! 

Next: Where to eat a cheap lunch in Stockholm

Where is the Gare du Nord (Noord) Bus Station in Brussels?

Just below the Gare du Nord/Noord Station in Brussels (on Rue du Progrès), there is a multi-bus stop. 

And by below, I don't mean south on a map, but actually underground! 

You can purchase tickets for the Zaventem Airport (BRU) at the De Lijn office inside (credit card OK), and the bus stop itself is on the other end of the building, about a minute's walk away. 

Follow the sidewalk and look for the bus stop containing 471. There should also be a marquee showing upcoming buses and their times.

Down in the depths of the station, ye shall find it.

Are there luggage or storage lockers at the Visby Ferry Port / Pier / Hamnterminal?

To answer this much-wondered-about question: Yes, there are luggage/storage lockers at Visby Hamnterminalen (where Destination Gotland drops you off). 

In Departures, you can go up the escalator/stairs, and there are two walls worth of storage lockers opposite from the side where staff can check you in.

50 SEK can fit a carry-on bag (and a touch more, depending on your bag's squishiness), and 60 SEK is twice that size. If you're traveling with someone else, sharing the cost is definitely an option!

From what I gather, these are non-refundable deposits, although I never asked. On a lovely early July Saturday, there were barely any lockers taken up, so you should be able to store yours easily. But YMMV!

Prices are current as of July 1, 2016, so keep a buffer amount in mind if you can!

Booking Train Tickets in Japan

While I wish there was a website online where you could book train tickets in Japan, unfortunately no such place exists. But it's actually not an intimidating process, especially if you plan to use pocket wifi on your trip. If not, it's definitely still doable, but just requires a little more planning beforehand!

Step #1: Have an idea where you'll be, and where you'll want to go.

This can be as simple as going from Tokyo to Kyoto, or as specific as your exact hotel in Tokyo to a landmark in Kyoto.

Step #2: Google Map it!

Set up directions from your Point A to your Point B. Within the directions, there should be several options for routes, but depending on your time zone, you may see results that won't apply to your particular date and time.

Step #3: Hyperdia!

Using HyperDia, you can use the locations from the Google Map results to pinpoint the exact train numbers and departure/arrival times for your journey.

For JR Pass holders: IF you are going to be using a JR Pass, keep in mind that some of these trains/routes will be free with the JR Pass, but others will not be! When inputting your search parameters, make sure to expand "More options" and un-tick NOZOMI / MIZUHO / HAYABUSA (SHINKANSEN). And while you're at it, un-tick some of those other options to narrow down your search to only what you can get by on with the JR Pass.

Hit "Search", and see the search results!

Step #4: Print!

If you're a normal, sane person, you would just print out your chosen route information and hold onto it for when you arrive in Japan (because you won't be able to book anything without setting foot in a train station)! But what I did at this point (just in case) was write each of these station names: "Tokyo", "Omiya (Saitama)", and "Ikebukuro", in Japanese and put those in my travel notebook, just in case something happened to my route printouts. And just to be considerate to the train station staff. But the staff at train stations can read English perfectly, so it's actually not necessary!

Step #5: Arrive in Japan and make your way to a train station

If you will be booking Shinkansen tickets under the JR Pass umbrella (i.e. not paying extra for tickets on JR routes), you'll need to purchase those tickets at a JR Office. BUT, not all of your routes will be Shinkansen! Local trains can be taken over short distances, and in those cases, you will just have to head over to those platforms, show your JR Pass, and you will be granted access through the turnstiles.

Step #6: Find your departure platform at the station

For people who take public transpo everywhere, this is self-explanatory. But the general steps toward finding your way to the right train consist of:

A) Braving your way through Robot Planet from Futurama to your destination by referencing signage above each set of turnstiles. This may involve walking around a lot if you only do drive-by glances like I do. 

*Note: Google Maps can also help with this step! They tend to be very exact when it comes to which wing of the station you should head toward. But if you don't use pocket wifi or data, you'll need to wing it.

B) Showing your JR Pass to the people at the turnstile. 

So much easier to have that pass.

If you end up needing to buy a ticket for a non-JR station, you can use one of the kiosks to the side, and in that case you'll just feed the little ticket stub into the turnstile before you go in. Remember to pick it up once you've walked through! You'll need it to get out at the arrival station.

C) Waiting behind the platform line until your train arrives.

What I loved about Japan was how orderly it was, even during rush hour. Lines were to be respected!!! Even now, I'm still ultra paranoid after Korea, a no man's land when it came to lining up for public transportation. Almost everyone has a story of a fierce 아줌마/할머니/grandmother who exerted massive physical force to push her way in front of them in line.

Though I can't say I don't miss it there. It was such a funny and lovely place, and I always look back at those times with a loving nostalgia.