This post is a bit different, as it’s less about the functionality of the app/the values of the community/the problems with hospex and their possible solutions/etc. While many people are hard at work tackling those topics, we’re also starting to look at Couchers.org’s presence on the web, namely with its own blog!
And we are looking for volunteers interested in writing for said blog!
What exactly the blog will look like is still in the early planning stages but we have a general idea of travel- and hospex(duh)-related content. These would include narrative posts, such as recountings of memorable couchsurfing and hosting experiences (whether funny, or life-changing, or just a totally unique experience), and listicle posts, such as travel tips.
Do you have a story to tell? Is there an epic travel memory rattling around the back of your skull, waiting to be spilled through your keyboard to its dream audience? Have you been looking for the excuse to make the time to put it into words?
Respond here if you’re interested in writing for the blog and maybe a sentence or two about what you would like to write about. Or you can skip to messaging me directly. Either way I will contact you directly to talk more about what (and how) you want to contribute!
On the occasion of one of our previous trips my friend nudged me into setting up a blog, very much against my will. It didn’t work well and over the years became a weird collection of random niche interests published months apart; but regarding travelling and hospex (mostly CS and WS at the time) it most suffered from us having no time to write nor to reflect on what to write during the trip itself.
We’ve cultivated a peculiar style nevertheless. At its best it’s looking like so (one of my posts). And this would be the kind of imagery I find funny. If you think that’s useful material I could well write about some anecdotes like this, it should be easier now that the memories have somewhat ripened.
I’d like to keep some critical stuff, all the rain and accidents and especially the hosts that proved less-than-ideal. The sort of travel blogging that’s just page after page on how welcoming the food was and how great everyone tasted abroad annoys the fuck out of me. My time isn’t that precious, but I won’t have it wasted on that sort of stuff.
Sorry for the strong words. I’m standing by them.
More general ideas for posts: How I’ve changed travel styles over the years; how I can fail you as a host; something in these directions maybe.
Don’t worry if you don’t feel you have the ability to write a blog, simple stories will also be accepted and added to a larger blog. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar as that can also be fixed, if you need.
Hey guys
I’d love to write for the blog. I’d love to share some stories about all the people I have met thanks to hospitality apps and how they changed me. Also, in my city, althought not very touristy we have a nice group or regular surfers/hosts doing constant events. I’d love to share their expericies too (With permission of course).
Hey, sorry for the late reply! I like the example you linked and if you wanted to contribute something along that line - I like the idea of reflecting on your style of travel - it could work. I definitely won’t ask you to write about your international food experiences
would you be interested in writing about your suggestion - how your travel styles changed over the years?
This is great, Ayie! Any stories you share are very welcome. Do you think people from that group of surfers/hosters would want to write some stuff as well?
Absolutely, count me in! I used to travel blog and am a member of hospitality networks since 2007/am also a fervent promoter of sustainable, low impact and conscious travel.
Hi @Dave! Hi @Manuela! Welcome to the forums and the community
We would love to get some submissions from you! Let me know if you have any trouble contacting us via email, and maybe drop me a note here when you’ve submitted articles so I can run a test on how easy submission is
It would be amazing to see some articles about this if you wanted to write some. Down the line it’d be interesting to see how we can promote sustainable travel through the app
Hey @Trenton If interested, I can post some of my writings here. I write on Medium about my travels occasionally as a hobby. I can’t include the link here but if this interests you, let me know. I plan to write country specific travels on my personal blog more often can certainly share it here as well.
