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We have one heckuva problem folks -- ANY help or advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated.
We have a friend (let's call him "Frank") from Germany whom we barely know (a friend of a friend) who asked us a while back if he could visit us here in Durham, North Carolina if he ever got to the U.S.
At the time we said "sure, no problem" --- figuring if he came he'd be here for a few days, maybe a week at the outside.
Well, we just discovered Frank booked his trip for 3+ weeks and wants to stay with us the entire time! To make things worse, my husband and I are going to to be out of the state working for 2 of those 3 weeks!
We want to be friendly to this person but we're now scrambling to set him up with places to go, things to see, etc., while he's here. And since we barely know him, we don't feel comfortable leaving him in our house for those two weeks we'll be gone.
Frank is about 55 years old and has only been to the states once before when he was in his 20s. He speaks just a little English and is not well-off, so his travel budget is very limited. We asked him how much he could afford to spend for hotels and he said "less than $50/night I hope" ... <sigh>.
So, we're desperate for any advice on where to send a friendly but short-on-cash German with very little English skills for 2+ weeks! Down to the beach, perhaps? Up to the mountains? With his extremely limited budget, maybe to a youth hostel? Seriously, we're at wits end and the money thing is the real kicker, because decent hotels anywhere seem to run $100/night, often more and that's really not something he can afford.
Any insight or advice you can provide will be GREATLY appreciated, as Frank is flying in later this week. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP. MY THERAPIST THANKS YOU TOO!!!
I'm sorry, but I'm dying laughing at the thought of sending 55+ "Frank" to a youth hostel!
My suggestion is this: "Frank" is a 55 year old adult man. I would kindly offer to let him stay with you for one week and tell him he needs to find somewhere else to go for the rest of his vacation. I realize you offered at some point, but at another point, a guest travelling overseas would have contacted you via email and confirmed his travel dates with a person he didn't even know before making travel plans and expecting you to accomodate him for 3 weeks. Ridiculous.
It's really nice enough of you to let him stay at your place for week, but "Frank" should be grown up enough to find his own place to stay and his own stuff to do for the rest of his trip. The Euro strong right now. If he can afford the trip over here, he should be able to afford two weeks traveling through the US and finding his own places to stay.
lol this is the weirdest thread title i've seen on here. if this is seriously true, tell him to make sure he can afford to take trips before he takes them. if he can't then, then stay back in germany! i mean, i'd love to travel the world, but i don't just force random people to put me up for weeks at a time. i find hotels to stay at that i can afford...
Check out Extended Stay America Hotels. These will run you anywhere from $50 to $55 a night for a weeklong stay. I stayed in one on a ski trip to Utah, and it was a clean room at a very good price. I haven't looked at any in the Triangle area, but you could find one nearby where you live, stop by to see a room and see how it looks.
lol this is the weirdest thread title i've seen on here. if this is seriously true, tell him to make sure he can afford to take trips before he takes them. if he can't then, then stay back in germany! i mean, i'd love to travel the world, but i don't just force random people to put me up for weeks at a time. i find hotels to stay at that i can afford...
I suspect it might be a cultural thing, or maybe someone perceiving that they have a closer relationship than the other party might feel. I don't find it all that strange. I think couchsurfing (where you offer strangers you don't even know to stay on your couch as they pass through town) is a cool concept. Not for everybody, though.
YIKES! From the sounds of it...I wonder if he really plans on going back to Germany? I think if you let him in....you'll never get him out
Good Luck to ya!
This may sound like an obscure suggestion, but what about families who host exchange students? Maybe there'd be one willing to host an "older" student for a change. Sure would be less hassle than a teen!
You sound like a really nice person, and perhaps you could make contact (or get contact info for the gent) with one of the local chapters who handle that.
The other idea "couch surfing" sounds like a good suggestion too. Sure sounds like he doesn't mind not knowing folks well! I agree...it is a cultural thing. In Europe, if you extend an invitation (for anything! Lunch, dinner, sleep on my floor) they believe you mean it. Over here it's often said frequently and without sincerity.
Your "guest" should have confirmed beforehand that it was still ok to stay there...sounds like a pretty inconsiderate guy.
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To make things worse, my husband and I are going to to be out of the state working for 2 of those 3 weeks! 
Seriously, we're at wits end and the money thing is the real kicker, because decent hotels anywhere seem to run $100/night, often more and that's really not something he can afford. 
