Day and Night

It really is quite the challenge to follow a Couch Surfing host that gives you an all around excellent experience. It's partially my fault. Emily in Swift Current and Brenda and Austin in Missoula set the bar pretty high right at the very start of, let's call it "Part 2" of The North America Project.

In case you've never been to, or maybe never heard of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, it is a small city, small population and has a handful of couch surfing hosts. I sent out maybe three requests and knowing the odds were not "ever in my favour" I looked to the next city - Medicine Hat. To my surprise this little gem of a girl, Emily, replied to my request and before I knew it I was sitting down to a home-cooked meal by grandma with her entire family and watching the super bowl. 

When I sent out requests in Montana - my first American stop - a couple days went by and I didn't hear back from anyone. I tried the capital, Helena, and another city in the area, Billings. The morning before I was to arrive in Montana I still hadn't heard back form anyone. Then I stopped between Brandon, MB and Swift Current, SK to fill up with gas and managed to get a wifi signal. *BING* An e-mail from Couchsurfing popped up from a woman named Brenda in Missoula, MT. "You can definitely stay with us!" Brenda begun her reply - which was music to my ears. "I work as a journalist here at a television station and am actually doing a story on couch surfing... so if you want to do an on-camera interview about your travels that would be great too!"

Remember that time I wrote about serendipity? Well, my friends, this would be the epitome of just that. I was on my way to Missoula, MT (where is Missoula anyways? I thought to myself). Upon my arrival I fell immediately in love with Brenda and Austin's two fur babies, Ruby and Dee. Within, maybe, an hour of meeting it felt like I had known Brenda my entire life. Home cooked pasta and gyros, a trip to the Big Sky Brewery, pub trivia night, a wine tasting and games night, and even a trip to The Jeremy Jackson hot springs in Idaho - because Brenda and Austin wanted to help me check another state off my to-do list. These are just some of the highlights of my stay in Missoula. 

Of course I was sad to say goodbye but I could not have asked for a better stay. Missoula has been one of my favourite stops thus far, thanks in large part to my wicked-awesome hosts that made me feel just like one of the family!

Now I was on the road to Bozeman, MT. A nice college city that is about 1.5 hours from Yellowstone National Park. Of course a trip to Yellowstone was on my to-do list. When I arrived in Bozeman I realized my host had given me her address - but didn't tell me which apartment was hers. Since she had no phone, and I no wifi, I was unable to get in touch. Luckily her roommate showed up and I basically shouted from my car like a crazy person to ask if I was in the right place. The night basically went downhill from there. Without getting into too much detail: an apartment full of teenage college students, a host that disappeared without so much as a, "hey, I'm heading out" and pawning me off on two roommates that similarly disappeared to bed shortly after. 

Now, I've made it this far so I like to think I am pretty resourceful. I grabbed some blankets and pillows from my car and whipped up a bed on the couch and called it a night. In the morning I couldn't get out of there soon enough. I was supposed to go to Yellowstone today and back for another night in Bozeman. I scraped both those plans and pushed forward. 

Now, I'm not looking for sympathy here. If this is the worst Couchsurfing experience I've had then I think it's going pretty well. One of these was bound to happen sooner or later. It's just incredible to me how two separate CS experiences could be so different. In Missoula I didn't want to leave. In Bozeman I couldn't get out fast enough. But, hey, it's all a learning experience - right?

Here's to hoping for many, many more Brenda, Austin, and Emilys along the way!