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When you meet travelers, complete strangers, do you ever invite them into your home, and offer them hospitality?
I'm always prepared to, and I quite often do, although I rarely have lived in a place where many people are passing through. Sometimes I even meet other while I am traveling, and give them my address, and extend a welcome to them to come by. Sometimes they do, which is always a delight. I've never had an experience in which I've regretted doing that.
I've even taken hitchhikers home and put them to bed.
I don't think that's typical in most developed first world countries. I know it's pretty common in many developing countries, I've been invited a few times myself.
As a sometime couchsurfing host, I welcome a lot of travelers. I only take people who have multiple positive reviews. I wouldn't take someone I met on the street though.
I don't have a place to take anyone to, but when I do I will have no problem with it. I myself have been offered many times to stay overnight somewhere through Couchsurfing or otherwise. On monday I was hitchhiking Frankfurt to Berlin and got stuck north of Leipzig, where a driver offered to let me spend the night at his place in the city if I were to continue having troubles.
You folks are a hell of a lot more trusting than I am. Maybe it's the neighborhoods I grew up in, I don't know. I didn't like it when friends would bring their friends to my house.
I don't but I don't really meet travellers much. My dad did (probably still does) though. When he was on his way to his wedding he met an Irishman and got talking and ended up inviting him to the wedding! There's a photo of this slightly confused man in the sauna with my dad, grandad, and uncles
Many other travellers he's met he's just invited to our home for dinner. Don't recall any of them staying the night though I might be wrong on that (we had lots of people staying in our home but they were all distant relatives or friends of relatives I think). Our address was often given to people we met while we were travelling as well.
Nice people helped me when I was travelling and fell asleep on the bus and got off at the wrong stop - took me to their home, fed me, and helped me find a way to get back.
I don't have a place to take anyone to, but when I do I will have no problem with it. I myself have been offered many times to stay overnight somewhere through Couchsurfing or otherwise. On monday I was hitchhiking Frankfurt to Berlin and got stuck north of Leipzig, where a driver offered to let me spend the night at his place in the city if I were to continue having troubles.
No I wouldn't. If I'm doing a party home I could maybe invite some strangers I met on my way home. But that's all, why would I invite a stranger in my home ? If we want to discuss we can sit in a park, in a pub, a restaurant, anything..
I travel about 3 months of the year. Mostly during the spring and summer after I have finished school and saved up some money. Probably there are many members here who are abroad for much longer.
I think it would surprise folks how hospitable people are to others on the road.
You folks are a hell of a lot more trusting than I am. Maybe it's the neighborhoods I grew up in, I don't know. I didn't like it when friends would bring their friends to my house.
Neither do I, but then, they are not invited. Not the same thing.
I've made lists of the number of countries and the number of states in which Ive been a guest inside the private home of anyone. It's about half and half. In about half the countries and states I've been in, I've been inside someone's private homes -- sometimes jujst for moment, sometimes for a week. Not including where it s part of a commercial transaction, like if an innkeeper registers guests in his living quartters, or a housewife has a cafe or shop in the front room. Only if actually invited in as a gesture of social hospitality..
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