Jordan Phoenix is walking the West Coast by foot, sojourning to better understand social issues like poverty, housing, and underemployment – and along the journey, he’s Couchsurfing!
“By far, the most inspiring thing that I’ve discovered during the journey is how amazing the Couchsurfing community has been. From Vancouver, to White Rock, Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Eugene, Eureka, San Francisco, Oakland — words can’t even express how grateful I am to have met so many generous souls along the way.
Over a dozen times, I’ve been blown away by how willing people have been to support me on my journey. They’ve opened their homes to me, cooked delicious food, and we shared in lots of laughs, deep conversations, and great times. I’ve even had people offer to let me stay in their homes when they were leaving town to travel themselves.
We hear a lot in this day and age about how it’s dangerous to talk to strangers, but I think this paradigm has made us feel paranoid, isolated, and lonely. Couchsurfing is such an amazing concept, as it reminds us of the sense of connectedness and community that we are all seeking deep down.
I’ve stayed with people from all different backgrounds, and all different walks of life — Black, White, Latino, Asian, men, women, couples, families, employed, unemployed, straight, gay, extroverted, introverted, young and old. This journey has confirmed to me what I’ve known all along: Deep down, none of these external labels matter. The one thing I’ve found throughout these experiences that bonds everyone together is kindness.
Kindness is a language that everyone understands.
Beyond all of the labels, we are all just human beings who love good food, good music, our families and friends, and want to live happy lives.”
Ready to see what Couchsurfing is all about? Find your next adventure on Couchsurfing.
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