When I read Wade’s piece on how a longer stay strategy is better when looking for a couchsurfing host, I agreed with the whole concept of getting to know a person rather than just letting some stranger crash for a night. Then I thought, I could do that. I could be that person who opens her home to fellow travelers. Then I wondered what type of travel adventurer would come to Dallas/Fort Worth on purpose?

I don’t mean to disparage the place I call home, it just sometimes seems to be a place to go because your job is there. It’s certainly not a place to go if you’re the outdoors type. You’d have to settle for a few parks and man-made lakes. I’ve heard people describe the area as “flat and brown,” but part of that is because all the trees have been bulldozed to make room for new subdivisions and shopping centers. 

On the other hand, there is plenty of culture to observe, and people from all over the world have come to call this area home.  The cultural diversity of the city means that the world comes to me. I’m learning a lot about China, India and the Middle East from friends, neighbors and co-workers. I have friends from Mexico and Venezuela, and I talk to the people who run the Brazilian, Salvadoran and Spanish restaurants.

I’ve got the whole world right in my back yard.