I have returned from the Millennials Changing America Tour and aside from being a bit tired from it all and the suffering of a minor bronchial infection, I am feeling good about the whole ordeal. When planning the trip, which took me to over 30 cities across the country, I thought that it would be interesting to set up the majority of my housing in each city by way of Couchsurfing so that I could save money and spend time meeting people in my downtime as well as when talking with people on the road.

 For those of you who don't know, Couchsurfing is a social network of people who have made their spare living space available for passers-through to stay in while in transit. It's an interesting and rich community and it is well-worth checking out.  

I've long thought that Couchsurfing would make for an interesting tool for those of the social, small-nonprofit breed who do conference or speaking rounds, yet don't work with a very substantial budget. It's a great way to meet people in the town you're heading to if for no other reason it helps to diminish the chances of you accidentally ending up at a bar in a sterile hotel bar, or worse - Chili's, talking with business people and other unadventurous tourists.

Admittedly, I'm no expert in this field. I used Couchsurfing for the very first time earlier this year, though the service had been suggested to me over and over for the past couple of years (those who suggested it thought that it was somehow congruent with my nomadic personality). I found a place to stay while attending this year's Mashup Challenge; it was on an urban organic farm and I very much enjoyed my visit. The parents of one of inhabitants were visiting and cooked for us sardines and potatoes and we drank beers in the sun. It was a fabulous way to be introduced to San Jose.

Since, however, I've learned a few things about my Couchsurfing successes and failures. Remember that my experiences have been limited, and I do appreciate any and all feedback that you have from your experiences.

• Study your geography. I found a place to stay at while attending Netroots Nation last year and it turned out to be a nearly 30-minute drive [read: cab ride] from the conference (though still considered technically in Austin). I thought I was saving money and time, but instead I had to book a hotel room at the last minute and so I missed the deals being offered by the hotel.
• Couchsurfing is an experience, not a hotel room. While also providing a free place to stay, Couchsurfing provides an opportunity to meet adventurous, dynamic, three dimensional people. Don't expect to be in and out, as if you are, you're not going to have the best experience possible. Think of it more as a cultural experience that takes place without your having to go very far. If you expect to spend more than 75% of your time occupied by business, perhaps you want to consider an alternative.
• Know what you're looking for/need in accommodations. Again - If your trip is going to be a really hectic one, it might be smarter to find a hotel room where you can just find some quiet, a hot shower, and a clean, well-made bed. Sometimes it's worth paying for not having to worry about all of these things. If you have found a place on Couchsurfing, do find out if there is anything you will need to bring by way of bedding.
• Have a backup plan. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes your host flakes and isn't around for one reason or another. It's always good to have another plan. When this happened to us in Cleveland, I put word out on Twitter that I needed a place to stay and had one in less than 10 minutes.
• Plan in advance. Make sure to let your potential hosts know as soon as you know that you need a place.
• Punctuality is key. This tour was really hectic. Some days we'd find ourselves a little behind and unable to make it to a couch we had made plans at and we had to do make other arrangements. These people aren't hostel-masters; they're home owners who are gracious enough to let you stay with them. Sometimes they've got stuff going on too, so this experience is really better set up if you have a concrete idea of where/when you're crashing.

Overall, Couchsurfing didn't turn out to be exactly the solution we were looking for. My days were much more full than I expected to be and our schedule was hectic. All I wanted to be able to do at the end of my long days was to sleep and not feel obligated to get to know new people, as that's what I'd been doing the whole time on the road. I planned the rest of the tour by staying with people I know in the field, setting it up with various online efforts, and using Twitter and Facebook to, very basically, ask if I could crash at these places accordingly.

Couchsurfing is a great service - an exciting one, really - and can help your small nonprofit save some money all while aquatinting you with new people. In order for your experience to be a good one, though, it is important to know what you're looking for before you dive in.