It was my first time really being on my own. I was 19 years old and fresh out of my first year of college. I had never lived outside of Illinois. I was moving 2000 miles away to California for my first internship, as a Bear Management Intern with a national forest. While I was getting ready to move there for the summer, I realized that there were no buses heading from the airport to my destination over the weekend. I was going to be stuck in Reno, Nevada for two nights. Being a poor student, I couldn’t afford a hotel room. Then I remembered someone had mentioned a website to help out travelers called CouchSurfing. I created a profile and started sending out requests to stay with local hosts in Reno. To my surprise, one lady accepted my request and invited me to stay with her and her family. They welcomed me into their home and gave me a place to stay. I was so humbled by their warmth and hospitality. As I prepared to set off to California, I clumsily tripped and broke one of my sandals. She offered me a pair of her sandals, basically gifting me the very sandals off her own feet. And that was the moment I knew that I would be a CouchSurfer for life. When she dropped me off at the bus station, she further solidified this thought by offering to come get me if anything went wrong during my internship. To think, this woman was a complete stranger only two days ago and she not only gave me a place to stay, but she welcomed me into her life and became a friend I could count on.
@christinewildphotography