When I was a kid, mother warned me about strangers.
“It’s OK to talk to them so long as I’m around,” she’d say. “But keep your eyes open.”
She wasn’t unfriendly, just wary. She erred on the side of caution, and I’ll bet you’ve heard the same advice too.
But for the past month, I’ve entered the homes of 14 strangers—folks who aren’t family, business associates, or even friends-of-friends—and spent the night. So far as I can tell, not a one of them took me in out of religious conviction, charity, or a sense of duty.
And prior to my arrival on their doorstep, they couldn’t have identified me in a police line-up.
Some of them weren’t even at home when I pulled up. But Karin and I didn’t break in. In fact, many of them had left us keys, or the passwords to their home security systems.
No, I’m not kidding.
So you may be wondering: Who are these people?
Pop quiz time—let’s see if you can figure it out. Here are a few clues.
These people can’t be easily described in only a word or two. In many ways these 14 individuals couldn’t be more different. Some are retirees, others are young marrieds with infant children. In their ranks are working folks who had to rise and head off to their jobs before Karin and I were able to chat much.
Four of them are single women.
What are their passions? Some enjoy cooking, one is a potter, another a photographer. One man is nationally ranked in archery, another tells the story of the time he marched in a demonstration and faced an anti-semitic mob. A couple of them are serious runners, and one has a garage full of kayaks. One woman, deeply committed to educating all children, is running for a state office.
Ready to guess yet?
All enjoy travel and when they have the time, love to sit down and talk with strangers. (Yes, that’s two clues for the price of one.) And so it is that Karin and I were lucky enough to get to know many of these good people, and we can tell you a bit more about them.
They are kind, thoughtful and generous, and they’re excited to tell you what they love about their town. They’ve offered tips of how to do interesting, inexpensive things, even giving us freebie or discount-coupons.
Do you see a pattern here?
In most cases, our talks didn’t dwell on religion. But when the subject did come up, We learned that some of these men and women are Jewish, others Catholic, and one said that on Sunday mornings, he worshiped at “the church of the inner spring.”
Curiouser and curiouser….
OK. Now where can you find them?
Well, they live in Arcata, Phoenix, El Paso, Austin, Houston, Abita Springs, Atlanta, Charleston, Knoxville and Memphis, and before we return home, another three or four trusting souls in Albuquerque and Page, AZ will take us in.
In short, they’re all over the USA.
So if you were hoping geography would provide the answer, guess again. But if you were paying close attention, you have one of the biggest clues in your possession. These folks all have a lot of faith in their fellow man.
And not coincidentally—final clue—they’re teachers.
Of course this still begs the question: So, how did you meet them? The answer, with the help of the Educators Travel Network, www.educatorstravel.com. All of the people I’ve described, and hundreds more, are a part this group. And they’re an interesting, adventurous lot.
And it is, to quote one of my kids, heck-a-fun to hang with them.
Karin and I came across this service when our children were still in grade school. We wanted to take all four of them, plus an exchange student, to Disneyland. But the cost was daunting. Karin was adamant that we not stay in a cheap hotel—our last trip to the Southland had netted us an “unforgettable-but-regrettable” bonus of head-lice. But I’d done the math, and told her I didn’t think we could afford anything better.
So Karin did some research, found the Educators Travel service, and they found a retired couple that was willing to open their home to the seven of us.
It sounded too good to be true, and just before we were ready to depart, Karin got cold feet and called them up to bail out of the booking.
“I’m having second thoughts,” Karin said, “and I just don’t think I can take the chance with our exchange student.”
“Oh please reconsider,” the agent said. “They’re the sweetest retired couple, and they’re so excited to host you.”
“Well, I just don’t know,” Karin said.
“I understand, but remember, they’re taking a chance on you, too.”
Karin sighed, and still on hold, asked me what I thought.
I shrugged. “Not all that many 70-year-old serial killers.”
She rolled her eyes.
“And,” I added, “we can’t afford it otherwise.”
So we took the plunge, and had a great time. Our hosts were a delight, played with the kids, and gave us helpful tips about navigating our way around Anaheim. That was about 15 years ago, and since then we’ve used the service when we can. It’s less than half of what a hotel would cost, but more than that, we’ve had wonderful adventures. Using the Educators Travel B&B has been a way, as Karin says, “to make old friends you never knew you had.” It’s uncanny how often we hit it off with our hosts, continuing to keep in contact with them and even inviting them to our home.
This sort of thing isn’t for everyone, and this service requires that someone in the household be a teacher, counselor, administrator, librarian or other school employee. I’ve heard that www.couchsurfing.org doesn’t have this requirement.
But I’m not here to plug one service in particular. What impresses me about this whole concept is that to use it at all requires you to believe in the kindness of strangers.
Simply put, you must have faith in your fellow man, an amazing thing in this age of media-generated suspicion and hyped-up fear we live in. So it’s not surprising, I suppose, that when I tell people that I use this service, they’re stunned. Folks usually have one of two responses.
First, there are the ones that know me best who ask, incredulously: “People let you into their homes?”
To which I respond, “Yep, they don’t know any better….”
Then there are those who are worried on Karin’s behalf. They ask: “Do you feel safe doing this?”
Her answer is, “Our biggest problems are always in the hotels.”
And I agree. Case in point. One of the stops on our current excursion was San Antonio. There, we stayed at the lovely Embassy Suites near the river. Their staff was cheerful, and the room, I’m happy to say, was bed-bug and lice-free.
But beware their valet service.
During our departure, a box containing important papers wasn’t put in our car. It was still in the valet’s storage. I didn’t realize this until we got to Austin. I had to return to San Antonio before going on to Houston. And in case you don’t have a map of Texas stenciled to your Stetson, this is not on the way…. It added an extra two-plus hours to our trip.
I pulled up at the Embassy Suites, annoyed but not outraged. I hadn’t noticed the mistake, and I reasoned it was partly my fault. Tired, and facing another three-hour drive, I asked if I could park and take a brief walk. So I handed my keys to a tall, harried man, and didn’t ask for or receive a claim check
Guess where this story is going….
Thirty minutes later, I returned and learned that harried-man had gone off duty, and my keys were nowhere to be found.
And I mean nowhere.
I waited for two hours, while they proceeded to search the key-board, stairways, every car in their garage, and apparently dredge the Gulf of Mexico without luck. Karin and I finally left—without my keys—because our Houston host was staying up late to greet us.
Thank goodness Karin had a set, and that the attendants, in their wisdom, had left our car unlocked with her purse—wallet, cash, keys and all—still sitting on the seat.
So much for the advantages of staying in a four-star hotel.
Two days later the management left a voice mail saying they’d found the keys and were mailing them home.
No real apology. No comps. And no way I’m staying at the Embassy Suites again.
So keep that in mind when you plan your next trip.
Co-op travel is more than just saving a few bucks; it’s adding a whole new element to your trips. By staying with real-people or hosting the same, they become a part of your journey, or you theirs. And for Karin and me this has been a fantastic experience.
The only thing is that these “strangers” have a way of becoming friends, and once you’ve tried this, you’ll see that this this isn’t so strange at all.
I think mother would understand.
Robb has enjoyed writing and performing since he was a child, and many of his earliest performances earned him a special recognition-reserved seating in the principal’s office at Highland Elementary. Since then, in addition to his weekly column on A News Cafe – “Or So it Seems™” – Robb has written news and features for The Bakersfield Californian, appeared on stage as an opening stand-up act in Reno, and his writing has been published in the Funny Times. His short stories have won honorable mention national competition. His screenplay, “One Little Indian,” Was a top-ten finalist in the Writer’s Digest competition. Robb presently lives, writes and teaches in Shasta County. He can be reached at robb@robblightfoot.com.
