So some time ago someone on Mastodon posted that they're biking into Portugal from Spain. I just sent them a message saying hi, and that should they ever be passing into central rural Portugal, i offer a couch to crash, a warm shower and nice warm meals. This person is moving around all mainland europe, essentially with just their bike, a tent and a water bottle.
Some weeks later, this person who i had only exchanged with just a couple of direct msgs here on Mastodon , was resting for 2 nights at my house, having conversation and hanging out. Up to the exact moment we met we both barely knew each other's names, how we looked, what kind of people we were. I didn't even know the exact date and time they were coming.
It reminded me of the great days of when i used couchsurfing .com when it was still completely free. Circumstances changed since then, and i had stopped using it for a long time, and i believe couchsurfing.com is no longer completely free. But having a similar experience after so long, and hosting someone completely random without any transaction happening except pure faith in people's goodness, reminded me once again of the joys of opening your doors to randoms. 1/2