Still near Boston at Jenna's house. Jenna's dad received his psychoanalytic training certification last night. The ceremony was really nice and gave my bulky, dumb, cheap suit a purpose on this trip. I hope to become a psychologist, and more specifically, an analytically-oriented one, so this celebration was meaningful and inspiring to me, as well.
While here, Jenna and I explored some interesting travelers' resources. The first is HelpX, a site which puts travelers (although not necessarily exclusively) in touch with people who want to trade room and board for assistance on a wide variety of projects. It's similar to WWOOF, but not restricted to organic farms. I haven't registered yet (it's 20 euros for a single membership, maybe more for a joint couples account). For instance, Jenna found a woman seeking help running her cafe in Boulder, Colorado. Specifically, she wants help putting together vegan/vegetarian menu options. Well, I'm a competent barista, and Jenna and I are both pretty good vegetarian cooks, so this position would be ideal for us. When we pass through Colorado (probably in late September or early October, the way things are looking), we'll get in touch with her. HelpX is also international. I could work for free on the Cook Islands.
The second resource is CouchSurfing. We'd both heard of CouchSurfing, but have never utilized, or even very carefully looked into, the site. For those unaware, CS is a network that allows travelers to search for hosts who have made their couch (or spare bedroom, or whatever) available for short stays, with the general understanding that when the traveler has a couch of their own, they will host CouchSurfing travelers. The CouchSurfing project facilitates cheap travel and allows the traveler to meet like-minded people. I decided to take a look and was immediately taken in by the stupendous opportunities it presents. It's amazing. I paid for the membership ($25.00), and searched for hosts in Quebec City. Jenna and I are staying a few days with a very well-traveled and well-reviewed guy named Benoit. It was very fast and very easy to find a cool person and get a response. I think we'll rely on CS heavily on the road, and we'll definitely host when we settle down again.
I like finding sites like this because I support what HelpX, WWOOF, and CS represent: mutual aid, free exchange of ideas, and intercultural communication. One day, I will be on the hosting side of these projects.
We also checked out ways to extend our Birthright trip. WWOOF and HelpX both have projects in Israel, and I also came upon a site called Kibbutz Volunteer which offers a directory of kibbutzim.
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