"US Now," a soon-to-be-released documentary film out of the United Kingdom, is all about the new ways people are working together and sharing their lives through the Internet.
I was surprised and intrigued to see an extensive section about an American who tries couchsurfing. We follow our solo traveler as he finds his way to a London flat and knocks on the door. The host welcomes him inside. A scene shows them eating dinner together and talking.
It was useful to me for showing the reality of couchsurfing. I have to admit, I felt uncomfortable watching the two guys meet and get to know each other that first night. I was feeling awkward and I wasn't even there.
Couchsurfing is not like hosteling or staying at a bed and breakfast. You are there by the good graces of your hosts and you may or may not have alone time while you are at their houses. You need to be ready to interact with and share your hosts' lives.
And if it's truly a couch you're staying on, as opposed to a spare room, you may have no door to shut to be alone. Which is the point of couchsurfing. It's about "making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit," according to the web site. It's about your host being your conduit to that community.
If you want anonymity and freedom to roam as you please at any hour, or you're on a tight schedule, it might not be for you. That's the sensation I got from this one little episode. Of course, it's not a statistically significant sample…
On the upside, the American did seem to become an insider in London. In one scene, he's drinking with three other guys at an outdoor table. Yes, some of it could have been contrived because of the filming.
Still, it felt like a good view into the possibilities and realities of a couchsurfing experience.
Photo: Ellen Perlman. A couch in Amsterdam
Boldly Go Solo 
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