Oops, I Did It Again!

Back in October when I was in Florida, some of you may remember me mentioning the awesome family that I couchsurfed with in Kissimmee. The ones that took me in, fed me meals, gave me a nice warm bed to sleep in - okay maybe the warmth was just a natural result of the Florida weather, but anyways, they took me to Gatorland (for free) then took the selflessness one step further by making one of my dreams come true. They arranged it so that I could visit Disney World absolutely free. I never asked for that. But, out of sheer kindness, they made the dream of a stranger come true. They also saved me about $300-$400 dollars, which is epic when you're travelling on a budget. I am forever grateful for the kindness of this family. One of the greatest acts of selflessness I have ever encountered and I love the drama it adds to the story every single time I tell people about: the time I got to go to Disney World for free.

As you may remember, after an excellent four nights spent with my Aunt and Uncle in Mesa, AZ, I made my way to Las Vegas, Nevada. Sin City. VEGAS, Baby! A place that most people go for the entertainment, the gambling, the bright lights and big city. Where most guests splurge on a ritzy hotel, I sprung for the $17/night Hostel Cat. On this, part two, of The North America Project, it would be my first stay in a hostel as I had managed to couch surf or stay with friends/family from Montana through Arizona. 

When people ask me about hostels and about couchsurfing, which do I prefer, how do they work, are the hostels clean? Do I ever feel unsafe couch surfing? My answers are always the same: I have never felt unsafe couch surfing. A few weeks back I had written about my experience in Missoula, MT and how my host is a reporter that was, at the time, doing a story on couchsurfing. In case you're still wondering how this whole thing works, this may help answer your questions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU36tX4qYpI&feature=youtu.be 

- my few minutes of fame on the local news in Missoula! 

When it comes to hostel versus CS, there is a very basic trade off. With hostels, you have more time to yourself and are free to make your own agenda, you also make your own meals, and meet larger groups of people. When you couchsurf, you may only meet your host(s) and most of the time you want to be considerate of their schedules and rules so that may mean not going out for drinks or reduce the party/social aspect of a stay. However, when you couchsurf, you immediately have an expert of the city at your finger tips. They have advice on where to go/not go, alternatives to what you may have planned, ways to save money, all the insight you would find in a concierge service at any ritzy hotel, for free. Therefore, I don't really have a preference when it comes to hostel versus couchsurfing. Both methods have allowed me to meet some ridiculously incredible people. What may influence your decision is how much you may want to go out partying or stay out late in a particular place versus getting the local experience. 

In regards to the other question, the hostels I have stayed at have all been clean and well run. My favourites are The Downtown Hostel in Nashville (no surprise there), the HI Hostel in Washington, DC, and Hostel Cat in Las Vegas, NV - it may be no surprise that these hostels are also where I have made friends with some of the most incredible people. 

Speaking of incredible people, early on in my week-long stay in Vegas, I met a dynamic duo, brother and sister, Beth and Jem from Hebden Bridge, England. For the duration of our stay in Vegas, we were inseparable. When they departed for California two days before I did it was like breaking up a band. Luckily, we were both headed in the same direction and knew a reunion was a must in a few days when we would both be in the Los Angeles area.The day that Beth and Jem left is also the day that I met Nicola, a nice girl from New Zealand that was staying in my dorm. While she was out exploring all the Las Vegas strip has to offer, I noticed that lots of her luggage was Disney-themed. I knew we would get along. Later that night we got to talking and it wasn't long before we realized we were both heading in the same direction - her to Los Angeles, me to Garden Grove. I offered her a ride, and then she invited me to be her guest at Disneyland in California for free! You see, Nicola has been working for Disney Cruise Lines out of Florida for the past two years and as an employee, you receive free entry to the park as well as three guest passes. 

It didn't take much convincing that the four commonwealth friends that met in Las Vegas should be the group that go to Disneyland together. As I sit here writing this, even I still cannot believe that it took me twenty-five years to make my Disney dreams come true and within five months I had somehow managed to visit Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, entirely for free. Entirely, through the kindness of others. Thank you! 

Lauren, Jem, Beth, and Nicola at Disneyland