While wondering 24th, just blocks away from my couch surfing heaven (more on that later), I am now sitting at a small pine table, no more than 2 x 2 feet, in the sunny window box of HAUS Coffee Shop. Complete with freelancers and life wanderers with MacBooks, headphones and minimalist style to match the 2 tone simplistic ambiance of the 15 ft ceiling loft space.
Riding this rollercoaster of YOP limbo, and desire to remove myself from the hostel downtown, in the name of the YOP, I decided to try Couch Surfing (CS). Having been a member for over 2 years, and yet to host or surf myself, now seemed like an opportune time to dive right in (pun somewhat intended). The concept is simple: a) Register at couchsurfing.org
b) Search for hosts in the city you’re going to be in
c) Find a goodie
d) Send a friendly note seeing if they would host you
e) Get a reply
f) Surf away…
So on Monday, I sent 2 notes to 2 people that seemed an interesting match.
1) A fellow Vanessa, who has yet to reply (somewhat common for CS),and
2) Mr.S, a cyclist with an interesting profile, French Canadian language skills, and shaggy salt’n’pepper mane.
He wrote back and 2 days later, I found myself on the doorstep of a lovely 1st floor apartment.
A CS host who must have read my mind, when I walked in, was preparing a quinoa and curried chicken dish with homemade tzaziki and green bean salad and listening to Sublime (I believe). Friendly, warm and open, we chatted over lunch and later introduced me to a not-so-hidden aspect of the local cycling communite: Bike Kitchen. A DIY bike shop in the area is 1 part loft/industrial space, 1 part cycling advocacy HQ, 1 part build a bike repair centre and 3 parts amazingness.
He volunteers there, and before I headed to a CS picnic at Dolores Park, he help tuned up his neighbours road who I am borrowing for a few days (and yes I have fallen in love with it, and even the hills of the city). Events and gatherings are another aspect of CS and this picnic just the right dose of internationality to get my motor running. Joining a friend from the hostel, Bobby, the Manchester native with a keen wit and love of poker, particularly after a 16 day stint in Vegas with his mates, the group of open souls hailed from Russia, Abu Dhabi, and of course Canada, England and folks from the Bay Area. After the sun set, (and the thermostat dropped at least 30 degrees – no joke) we headed to Taqueria Cancun on Mission Street. Although highly rated in travel books, the tacos were decent, but the free corn chips and cheap price ($3.00 for taco supreme) helped.
And now for today’s mission:
a) Write contacts made at Sustainable Brands 2010 – particularly coconut sponge guy Julien
b) Go to interview for an Internship with San Francisco Environment (the enviro arm of the City of San Francisco)
c) Snap some shots of Mission District
d) Go for a cycle around Golden Gate Park
e) Go to StumbleUpon Anniversary party downtown *
*this last one’s debateable.
Do what you love and the rest will follow…
I've used Couchsurfing many times and always found it to be fantastic. I would advise casting your net wider next time, though, it usually took me at least 10 requests to get success -- although maybe there is a gender difference?
ReplyDeleteWow V - innncredible post. You are owning the year of passion and you can see how connected you are to it in the way you write. So proud of you. TO is not the same without you, but I can't wait for the next update! Hugs to the blue bird. xo
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