Many
things have happened since I left Belize and last updated my blog. I have met
interesting people, heard profound life stories and traveled Mexico and United
States.
I have
couchsurfed. In Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, Cancun and Miami.
I have
to say that couchsurfing is by far one of the best things I have done. People
who are part of that community know exactly what I am talking about, but people
who are not familiar with the concept might find it odd. Some of my friends, or
people I meet, don’t really know much about couchsurfing and when I explain it
to them, they seem suspicious.
Usually
the first question is how safe can it be; what if you end up staying with some
creep? Well, usually at that point I explain how it works and how they make it
safe. And according to research, couchsurfing is actually safer than regular
traveling.
Then the
other question is usually about money: you don’t pay to surf someone’s couch.
And for that reason some think that the surfer is actually the one gaining
something from the deal, while the host/hostess is the loser. Well, this is
exactly why I love couchsurfing: hosts never think like this. People who are
hosting surfers don’t think they are losing something: otherwise they would not
do it!
Hosting
people from different countries, getting to know them, their personalities and
sense of humor, stories from back home and travels, can be very rewarding. It
is an exchange of cultures and exchange of ideas.
My
question would be: do you always have to win or gain something in order to do a
nice thing for another person? And if so, how can you measure your gain?
Financially, materially, or maybe mentally?
During
my travels it has been the encounters with other human beings that have made
the greatest impact in my life. The kind of impact that makes you think about
life, view it differently, wanting to change your life and realizing how
self-involved you can be.
Owning
only what I carry in my backpack, traveling across continents, learning new
languages and cultures and making new friends on the way have made me revalue
my life. This life that we have, at best, is a short interaction with others,
an expedition in yourself. Who am I? How do I really want to live my life? What
is really important?
I could
live the rest of my life with owning nothing but the clothes that I’m wearing,
and I could be perfectly happy. But this doesn’t mean I think badly of owning
things, nor does it mean I believe I should never own anything. It simply means
that there are several dimensions in life, and the material side is not the
most important one. What we own or have gained does not measure the quality of
our lives.
"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."
- Maria Robinson
