Couch Surfing

For years we have been listening to our friends, Brendan and Stina, rave about the this wonderful thing called couch surfing. Basically, its a website whose members can get in touch with people from all over the world who are looking to meet new people. Most people use it as a way to find free places to stay while traveling. The theory being that people offer up their couches for travelers to save the expense of a hotel and meet new people in the process.

Adam and I signed up a while ago but we hadn't used it until today. We offered our fold out couch and a Hungarian/German couple contacted us looking for a place to stay while they visit the Irish festival on Sunday (which we will also be attending).

Meeting new people is hard for me. I'm shy to my core and I always find making small talk uncomfortable and awkward. Adam claims that he struggles in this department as well, but I marvel at how open and interested he is with any new people we meet. He was so excited to get to host this couple.

Adam met the couple at the train station and is currently showing them around Magdeburg while I wait for the little one to wake up from her nap. We are all planning on going to the festival together tomorrow and I'm having some friends over for dinner tonight.

The point of the rather rambling post is that I think that it is important to step outside of our comfort zones in order to really experience all that life has to offer. I basically left my comfort zone a few thousand miles away when I embarked on this journey and I'm so glad I did. It hasn't been easy (in fact, next to giving birth, it is one of the most difficult things I've ever done), but I am meeting so many amazing people and experiencing so many different ways to live that it more than makes up for any discomfort that I might be feeling.