Guest post by Beatrice Cinnirella
A new way to learn more about own culture and to discover others!
Couchsurfing is not just a travel network but it is much more.
When I first joined, I knew very little or nothing about it. I thought Couchsurfing was a typical social network like, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Fortunately I was wrong!
I was quite suspicious at the beginning about its working principles. To meet strangers, host them in your home, to even go out with someone you met 5 minutes ago. It was like science fiction!
I met my first Couchsurfer in Catania, Sicily for an aperitif in February 2011. A single call to organize, and voilà, the next day we met! Immediately there was good talk, laughs and feeling like two old friends. Since that moment my doubts about the site disappeared! During my short experience (just 52 references) on Couchsurfing I found that I could meet , locals, Italians, foreigners. Everyone had something unique to say, to share, to tell.
During your path, you will meet people who do not have the real Couchsurfing spirit. They think Couchsurfing is just a way to save money or to have a free guide or – in the worse case – to flirt like its a dating web site. This is quite normal because like in real life you can meet opportunists, rudes, impolites persons, so also in this travel network is possible to find them!
What was the last positive thing I said about CS? Ah, yes that you can become a better person thanks to the exchanges you have.
So this wish to be better is became stronger one night in the end summer 2011, turned into idea!
During that sleepless night I thought, thought, thought and said to myself “tomorrow i will write a message in several CS groups asking this:
My name is Beatrice and I am sicilian and I live in the Ragusa’s province.
Ihave a dream!
I would like to receive postcards from all the world because I would like to know new places that I will never can visit in the my life to feel all world more near me!
I will wait 1 year to receive these postcards to make then a super photo mural and to share this “gift” on internet and to show that an UNITED WORLD is possible!!!
If you are agree with this my wish and you want and can help me to realize it, please send me a private message and I will be happy to answer you!
Thank you so much for your attention!
Ciao
Beatrice C.
I admit I didn’t feel very confident about success but the generosity and positivity of people contradicted me!
Can you guess how many postcards I got?
At the end of the project I received 820 postcards.
But beyond the number was sharing a message of hope.
Here’s a mention of my project on Couchsurfing web site
Another thing i love is the exchange of thoughts, ideas, projects, stories with persons from all over the world and it is for this reason in may 2012 I made a group on CS named “global village”.
A group born by idea to make a global village composed by people of all the world. A sort of virtual Land where everyone can express own point of view about different objects, but ALWAYS using utmost respect for point of view of others.
Well, an ideal world.
All are welcome to join and to recommend new points to make this group more interesting and proactive. I think also only 1 good word can bring happiness to people!
In the end to close my short thoughts about Couchsurfing, I would like to talk about my new philanthropic project kisses from all the world. In November 2012 I made a Facebook page. The kiss is a very constant element in our lives. There are different kind of kisses: kisses between lovers, kisses between friends, kisses between relatives, kisses between colleagues, kisses for pets, kisses for plants,etc.
Purpose of this project is to connect people from many countries through pictures of kisses everyone can give during own daily life, during own work day, during own free time, during a party etc. to the people (kids, boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, colleagues, relatives, etc.) known or unknown.
I have already kept some kiss pictures but the path is long still! My wish would be to have many, many, many kiss pictures to be able to organize one day an international photo exhibition in somewhere. This project has not a deadline so everyone can participate when they like.
Well, I hope this has built your interest and enthusiasm for everyone who has yearning to have the wish to give oneself a challenge! Couchsurfing can be a tool to make a better world!
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