I cycled across borders as a 14-year-old without technological aids. Allow me to elaborate I cycled from the Netherlands to Belgium back in winter 2013 without any smartphone/GPS and with practically zero knowledge of Dutch (the language spoken in the area). I had a "dumb" phone on me (which ended up dying on me), a bunch of maps gathered from the tourist visitor center in town, and a bicycle. I set off cycling from the quaint town of Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands to the major Belgian port city of Antwerp, but it became dark by the time I crossed the border. It would take me way too long to navigate to Antwerp and catch a train back (I'd promised my parents that I'd be back by sunset), so I went for Plan B — finding the closest train station to take me back home. I was in a different country, and the Flemish was practically incomprehensible for all practical purposes. Flemish is supposed to be a derivative language of Dutch, but with my pidgin knowledge of Dutch, I was in no position to understand Flemish. A number of people I interacted with to ask for directions weren't proficient in English, which resulted in us using pidgin versions of each other's languages coupled with a great deal of sign language. The roads were dark and narrow, with cycle paths nowhere to be found, and the night was cold and lonely. I found a station, but due to a weird configuration of the station, I ended up standing on the wrong platform and missing my first train back home. I ended up catching the next one though, and made it back home within the next two or so hours. I've definitely experienced a lot since that jaunt when I was barely a teenager, but I still hold this memory very dear to me because it was the first time I traveled alone, independently, and managed to pull it off in one form or the other.

I can share a great deal with hosts :) I can share experiences and laughter, stories and cups of tea I can share pictures and smiles, along with some good ol' coffee I can share my culture without imposing such, and can share my hopes and dreams But above all, what I can share is my being a guest who doesn't impose or burden, and makes the hosting experience worthwhile!