COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE I have Couchsurfed in southern Utah next to Zion National Park and in the front Range of Colorado.

While hiking in the Swiss Alps on one foggy afternoon, my friend and I came up on a meadow which was part of a ski resort during the winter. I was frustrated, tired, and soaked to the bone from a rainstorm that had hit earlier. My friend and I temporarily separated as he went off to take pictures, and I sat down in the grass and stared up into the sky, which was at the moment nothing more than a pure white thick layer of fog in every direction. The wind picked up again, and then out of the corner of my eye I saw some light break through the fog. Suddenly, right in front of me sat one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Rising up in front of me was a beautiful group of peaks making up what I would later discover to be the Aiguille du Midi and the Pointe d'Orny. The peaks were still cloaked in sheaths of fog, but the sun lit up their tops brilliantly, giving them a golden appearance for just a fraction of a second. This left me in awe, and made me almost feel guilty for being unhappy in such a beautiful place. It made me realize that no matter how many trifling issues you may encounter while travelling, the end result will always be worth it.