Couchsurfing has taken me many places. One place I never thought it would take me is to the small screen, hosting my own TV show.
Almost Famous
Tag: Travel
Scotland: Wrong Lanes, Right Places
A year ago, the whirlwind tour with my family and in-laws that surrounded our wedding was winding down. From the 22 or so people who attended our cozy cabin in the Smokies, there were only 4 left: me, my wife…
Disconnected, Disconnecting: Stepping Away from Technology
For someone who has taken very public stances against technological encroachments and smart phones in particular, I find myself just as addicted as anyone else to my phone. This addiction was recently highlighted on a three-day camping trip when Christine and…
Travel Wise: The Cautionary Tale of North Korea
I have a friend, who, for the purposes of this blog we’ll call Derek (not his real name). A few years ago, Derek traveled to Laos. It’s a beautiful–if secluded–country and a real gem when traveling through Southeast Asia. One…
Lessons From Couchsurfing: More Trust, Less Fear
I’m writing this in the wake of the United Kingdom’s referendum to leave the European Union. No one really knows the full implications of what this means for the future of Britain, the EU, or the global economy. The one…
80 Couches: 200 and Counting…
This is my 200th published post on 80couches.com! When I started this blog five years ago prior to my move to Korea, I had no idea where my random brain-droppings would take me, or where I would take myself. Since…
In Between Days
“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.” -Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I have this watch from communist-era Czechoslovakia that I bought from an antique shop in the Jewish Quarter of Prague. It has no battery, relying…
Colca Canyon
Peru is an amazing country. Despite hovering around the equator, it boasts an extensive array of climates. It has broad beaches along its Pacific Coastline, desert highlands, and seemingly endless Amazonian rainforest. I’ve not written about my South American adventure…
Why I Always Travel with Cards
I always bring a deck of cards with me when I travel. This was my uncle’s suggestion. He told me on more than one occasion, “The most important thing to bring is a deck of cards, because if you get…
Iceland Preview
When the time came to finally decide how to best use our remaining vacation time in November, Iceland wasn’t really anywhere on our radar. The criteria were: 1) Somewhere we’ve never been, and 2) Somewhere warm. Imagine our surprise as…
Strange Places I’ve Called Home: Part 6, Paju, Korea
This is my latest in my “Strange Places I’ve Called Home” series. The rest can be found here. My first time up to Paju came two weeks before starting my new job at English Village. The first thing I noticed…
Chaos Theory of Travel
Exactly two years ago today, Christine and I were robbed in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon in Buenos Aires, Argentina. What unfolded from that point forward was an unforgettable, life-changing trip. Was the robbery a low-point in our adventure,…