How To Role Your Social Network To Locomote The World

One of my favorite websites is Couchsurfing. This website allows y'all to connect with locals abroad as well as acquire a identify to stay, a friend to exhibit y'all around, as well as local information. I think I used it when I was get-go traveling as well as stayed at this lovely domicile inwards Athens. I’ve grown to beloved it fifty-fifty to a greater extent than since they guide hold a “who’s nearby” characteristic on their app, which I heavily used inwards French Republic final year.

Celinne, on the other hand, created – as well as used – her ain personal social network. She traveled the world only staying with friends as well as friends of friends. She reached out on the spider web as well as constitute strangers willing to opened upwards their domicile to her. Not solely did this assist her lower her go costs, it allowed her to run across wonderful, fascinating, as well as kind-hearted people. To me, go is nigh the human connections nosotros ready – as well as she constitute a agency to ready some slap-up ones. Here’s her sharing her story, what inspired her to exercise this, as well as what she learned along the way.

Nomadic Matt: Tell us nigh yourself. Who are you? What drives you?
Celinne Da Costa: My beloved story with go dates equally far dorsum equally I tin remember: I was born inwards the pump of Rome, Italy, to an immigrant Brazilian woman parent as well as a German-raised Italian father. Since leaving Italy, I’ve gone from living inwards the quintessential suburbia neighborhoods that American dreams are made of, to frenziedly exploring Philadelphia spell balancing my studies at University of Pennsylvania, to adventuring my agency through every nook as well as cranny of New York City. Last year, I left behind my corporate advertising chore inwards the metropolis to blueprint my dream life from scratch. I began with a journeying around the world, inwards which I harnessed the ability of human connexion as well as kindness to remain with 70+ strangers inwards 17 countries across iv continents.

Eighteen months later, I’m nevertheless traveling full-time as well as writing a bulk nigh my experience circumnavigating the globe yesteryear couchsurfing through my social network.

What fuels your passion for travel?
Travel accelerates my personal increment as well as challenges me to go the best version of myself. There are therefore many beautiful places inwards the world, but after a while, they commence to blend into i another. What genuinely makes go valuable is the lessons it tin instruct you, if y'all are willing to live introduce as well as pay attending to your environment.

Travel has helped me prepare the humility as well as goodwill to acquire from people that I run across along the way. It has pushed me to empathise my insignificance on this planet, yet nevertheless accept actions that volition positively touching on others. Most importantly, it has challenged me to opened upwards my pump to others as well as alive inwards the moment. Ultimately, go is non a affair of what I see, but who I go along the way. I don’t demand to reckon the entire world. I only desire to experience it run through my veins.

Tell us nigh this long jeopardy y'all were only on. How did y'all think of it? How long did it last? Where did y'all go? What did y'all do?
I didn’t desire to only quit my corporate 9-5 chore on a whim as well as go the world without a plan. I wanted to make go into a lifestyle, non a sabbatical, therefore I decided to blueprint a projection that would 1. contain my principal passions (travel, writing, as well as making connections with interesting humans) as well as 2. create opportunities for a lifestyle alter i time I was done. I challenged myself to blueprint my dream life, elbow grease to alive it out for vi months and re-evaluate i time I got there.

That’s where the thought of my social experiment came from: I circumnavigated the globe yesteryear couchsurfing through my network. I wanted to reincorporate existent human connexion dorsum into my life. I never used the Couchsurfing website since everyone who hosted me was connected to me somehow (friends, friends of friends, people I met on the road).

I ended upwards existence on the route for nine months for this project, as well as having 73 hosts inwards 17 countries across 4 continents: I passed through Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Oceania, as well as the US.

How did y'all really observe hosts to host you? How far ahead did y'all know where y'all were going to sleep? 
There were no websites involved! Only sheer human connection. All the interactions were initiated yesteryear me and were enabled yesteryear my telephone (texting, vocalisation notes, calling) as well as social media (mostly Instagram as well as Facebook).

I reached out to everyone I knew telling them nigh my projection as well as bespeak whether they knew someone they could connect me with. I kept moving from i connexion to the side yesteryear side until I constitute someone willing to host me. As my projection grew as well as people started finding out nigh it, hosts started to attain out to me through Instagram.

I solely had a one-way ticket to Italy (where I’m originally from) booked – everything else was on a whim. I had a full general trajectory of where I was going, as well as I would add together or subtract places depending on my hosting situation. There were places I wanted to see no affair what, therefore in that location were oft times when I was downwardly to the wire as well as didn’t observe a host until super final minute. Other times, I had hosts lined upwards months ahead. It ever worked out – I was solely left without a host once, inwards Dubrovnik, Croatia. I ended upwards renting a inexpensive room final minute, but luckily, I did ready some local friends on that trip therefore I’ll guide hold a identify to remain if I return!

What was the furthest connexion with a host that y'all stayed with? How did that happen?
My furthest connexion was 7 degrees inwards Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was: my mom’s friend’s girlfriend’s client’s client’s co-worker’s friend. It was crazy how it happened. I kept struggling to observe a place, as well as each individual would overstep me along to someone else they knew until eventually, someone was available as well as willing to host. This happened several times during my travels – I also had plenty of five- as well as six-degree connections. I was taken aback yesteryear how dedicated people were to finding me a identify to stay.

Did y'all ever run across someone on the route as well as remain with them? Or did y'all strictly remain with friends of friends?
Yes, all the time! There was never a betoken when I had all my hosts lined upwards – I usually had my side yesteryear side brace of destinations planned, as well as everything else upwards inwards the air. I was constantly coming together as well as befriending travelers on the road, as well as upon hearing nigh my project, a vast bulk would offering to host me without me fifty-fifty asking.

For example, I met an older gentleman for all of thirty minutes equally I was leaving a meditation retreat inwards Nepal (which, funny enough, was also run of my project: my Kathmandu’s cousin worked therefore I was his guest). Despite knowing me therefore briefly, he offered to host me inwards Tasmania. I ended upwards visiting his as well as his wife’s farm (located inwards the optic of nowhere) vi months afterward with some other host, as well as it was amazing. Four consummate strangers ended upwards spending an entire eve sharing stories nigh our travels as well as philosophies on life over a feast of freshly caught crayfish as well as vegetables picked from their garden.

Tell us a few host stories that completely surprised y'all when y'all were on the road.
If in that location is anything I learned from coming together hundreds of people during my travels, it’s that in that location is therefore much to a greater extent than than nosotros could ever fathom going on below the surface of a human being. It is our nature to categorize things. With people, it tends to live yesteryear culture, race, geography, religion, etc. If y'all ready an active elbow grease to seat these categories aside, sit down downwardly with locals, as well as demonstrate some basic involvement inwards their lives as well as stories, you’ll observe that each individual is their ain universe. In fact, the most incredible nuggets of wisdom I’ve gotten came from people who didn’t fifty-fifty realize their ain brilliance.

One of my favorite encounters was with Maung, an older gentleman that I met who was a hotel managing director inwards Myanmar. After some conversation, I constitute out he smuggled cows to Thailand for a living when he was younger, as well as was a commander inwards the guerilla fighting motion against the oppressive authorities amongst a monk who afterward became famous for his humanitarian efforts towards orphaned children. What a story!

Then, in that location is Adam, the Italian-American host I roughshod head-over-heels inwards beloved with (spoiler: nosotros broke up). We grew upwards less than an hr away from each other inwards the the States yet I constitute him spell he was living inwards Australia.

Lastly, I’ll never forget bespeak my host Anna inwards Bali whether she knew of a spiritual healer as well as her telling me that she lived with one. That week, I spent most of my evenings sitting on their porch inwards an Ubud village, discussing the pregnant of beloved as well as happiness equally they proceeded to schoolhouse me on life with their wise Balinese philosophy.

What challenges did y'all guide hold couchsurfing around the world? How did y'all bargain with them?
I could never predict the comfort or location convenience of my accommodation, therefore I really had to learn to go with the flow as well as non laid whatever expectations. I’ve stayed inwards penthouses with my ain individual room, bathroom, as well as maid, as well as I’ve also stayed inwards cots on the flooring of a hamlet with a hole for a toilet. It’s funny because some of my most “uncomfortable” hosting accommodations ended upwards existence my richest as well as best experiences, as well as vice versa.

Also, “reading” my hosts was a challenge. Their reasons for hosting me were therefore different: some wanted to pay it forward, others wanted to actively exhibit me their metropolis as well as alternative my brain, others were solely offering a identify to remain but didn’t necessarily desire to socialize. I had to sharpen my people skills therefore I could remain respectful as well as intuitive to people’s boundaries (or lack thereof).

What are your tips for people who are inspired yesteryear your story as well as desire to exercise this on their own? What are some slap-up resources y'all advise to use?
Identify what y'all are passionate about, as well as assay to ready your travels around what industrial plant for you. My projection was successful because I tapped into my strengths as well as passions. If you’d similar to create a projection around your travels, I advise y'all customize it around your preferences: if y'all are an introvert as well as loathe talking to people, for example, spending hours a twenty-four hr menstruation chatting with people as well as bespeak them to host y'all may non live the best idea. Make your journeying fun yesteryear catering to what y'all realistically experience comfortable as well as happy doing, as well as ready surely y'all exercise some planning ahead of time.

My best resources was beau travelers who had also done round-the-world trips. When I was thinking nigh doing this trip, I reached out to full-time travelers on Instagram, asked friends if they knew people who went on long go trips, as well as did a lot of “blog surfing.” I had therefore many Skype calls with strangers who had only finished round-the-world trips earlier I left for my own. Talking through my doubts, fears, as well as confusions – as well as existence reassured that I would live okay – made me therefore much to a greater extent than comfortable with leaving.

Specifically, my trip was inspired yesteryear i of my mentors Leon Logothetis, who is the author of bulk (and immediately TV show) The Kindness Diaries. He traveled the world on a yellowish motorcycle relying on people to offering him gas, food, or shelter, to evidence to himself as well as to others that humanity was kind. Other books I also read that prepared me for the trip were Vagabonding yesteryear Rolf Potts, The Art of Travel yesteryear Alain de Botton, as well as A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose yesteryear Eckhart Tolle.

How exercise y'all ready your coin final on the road? What are some of your best tips?
My pinnacle tips for people trying to go into piece of occupation financially on the road:

• Know your weaknesses, as well as conception for them. I’m terrible at numbers as well as never budgeted before, but I knew I would guide hold to if I wanted to ready this piece of occupation financially. I created an excel canvass as well as for the yesteryear eighteen months, guide hold been documenting as well as categorizing every unmarried expense therefore I tin rail where I demand to cutting downwardly if necessary. I also knew I’d go crazy if I didn’t occasionally process myself to something I liked but wasn’t necessary, therefore I gave myself a monthly “frivolous stuff” allowance.
• Always think that y'all tin barter or negotiate. Traveling as well as negotiating on the route taught me that currency is non solely monetary – it is social equally well. I did non guide hold abundant funds, but I did guide hold a skillset: I am a ready strategist yesteryear trade, equally good equally a writer, social media influencer, as well as content creator. When negotiating with dollars didn’t acquire me anywhere, I would offering my services inwards central for goods or services of similar perceived value. In many areas of the world, people response favorably to a favor-exchange. If marketing isn’t your skillset, that’s totally ok too! I’ve seen people barter all kinds of skills for experiences of places to stay: for example, exchanging farm piece of occupation or teaching English for room as well as board, helping a small-scale line organisation with coding a website inwards central for costless tours, etc. The possibilities are endless!
• Embrace the minimalist lifestyle. When I’m on the road, I alive a really minimalist lifestyle. I solely go with a carry-on to maintain my holding to a minimum, I hardly purchase souvenirs or clothes, I walk or accept world shipping whenever possible, as well as I purchase most of my nutrient at the grocery store. I unremarkably don’t pay for civilization as well as history-related activities or tours; I e-mail places ahead of time, tell them nigh my projection as well as that I’m a author (in improver to having my ain social media following, I also write for some major publications… both which I achieved yesteryear creating this social experiment). Since I remain with locals, I don’t pay for accommodation, which helps tremendously.

Were your solid unit of measurement as well as friends supportive of your traveling adventure?
Surprisingly, yes. I was originally nervous to tell my solid unit of measurement as well as friends nigh my conception to quit my chore to go around the world yesteryear sleeping inwards random people’s homes – I really expected them to assay to speak me out of it. Although a handful of them did, the vast bulk had a response along the lines of “Yes! You demand to exercise this!”

I was overwhelmed yesteryear the support, how much they believed inwards me, as well as how they supported me along the way, emotionally equally good equally yesteryear connecting me to potential hosts. I couldn’t guide hold made it without them!

What’s on your bucket list?
Oof, am I allowed to tell every province inwards the world? If had to narrow downwardly to v places that I’m itching to see, they are: Peru, Bolvia, Antarctica, Japan, as well as the Philippines. Now I only demand to observe hosts there!

Do y'all guide hold whatever advice for people that experience similar Couchsurfing is something unsafe that they could never do?
Yes! The get-go dominion is in all likelihood the hardest to internalize: y'all guide hold to trust people. We alive inwards a world that is constantly inundating us with word of what terrible humans nosotros are, but that is non the instance at all. I constitute all over the world that most people are good, as well as desire to help. I guide hold plenty stories nigh people who went out of their agency inwards kindness for me to fill upwards a bulk (and that’s why I’m writing one!).

Of course, in that location are exceptions, as well as that’s where my 2d slice of advice comes in: trust your intuition. Western club specially values take heed over heart, as well as that’s something I learned to inquiry during my fourth dimension inwards Southeast Asia. It’s of import to utilisation rationality as well as logic when moving through life, but in that location is something nigh intuition that only cannot live quantified. Listen to what your gut tells y'all – if something is off, withdraw yourself from the situation, no questions asked.

Overall, I’ve surfed over 100 couches inwards the yesteryear brace of years as well as I’ve solely had i bad experience which I chop-chop removed myself from earlier it escalated. Statistically, that’s a 1% weirdo rate. Believe that people are good, as well as that’s the world that volition manifest for you!

Celinne Da Costa left behind her corporate advertising chore inwards the metropolis to blueprint her dream life from scratch. She began with a journeying around the world, inwards which she harnessed the ability of human connexion as well as kindness to remain with 70+ strangers inwards 17 countries across iv continents. Follow her journeying at Celinne Da Costa equally good equally Instagram as well as Facebook or alternative upwards her bulk of brusk stories, The Art of Being Human. 

Become the Next Success Story

One of my favorite parts nigh this chore is hearing people’s go stories. They inspire me, but to a greater extent than importantly, they also inspire you. I go a surely agency but in that location are many ways to fund your trips as well as go the world. I promise these stories exhibit y'all that in that location is to a greater extent than than i agency to go as well as that it is inside your grasp to attain your go goals. Here are to a greater extent than examples of people who overcame obstacles as well as made their go dreams a reality:

• Reader Story: How Angela Travels the World equally an atomic reveal 79 Pair
• How Oneika Gets Teaching Jobs Around the World
• Reader Story: How Helen Successfully Traveled as well as Volunteered Around Africa
• Success Stories: Why Trish Sold Everything She Owned to Travel
• An Interview with Lee Abbamonte, the Youngest American to Visit Every Country inwards the World

P.S. – I’m having a run across upwards on Jan 23rd inwards Queenstown. You tin sign for that yesteryear clicking here! Come bring together the fun! Location TBD!

Sumber https://www.nomadicmatt.com

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