FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions- Thank you for all of the nice emails that we've been receiving.   We appologize if we can not get back to you right away.  Here are answers to some of the common questions that we received.

 What is “couchsurfing”?

            –Taken from www.couchsurfing.com- “CouchSurfing.com helps you make connections worldwide. You can use the network to meet people and then go and surf other members' couches! When you surf a couch, you are a guest at someone's house. They will provide you with some sort of accommodation, a penthouse apartment or maybe a back yard to pitch your tent in. As a member, you can communicate with other members all over the world and see if there is a person in the place that you'd like to go who is willing to host you. Stays can be as short as a cup of coffee, a night or two, or even a few months or more. The possibilities are endless and completely up to you.”

Couchsurfing is a nonprofit organization and its use is completely free!

Isn’t it dangerous? 
   
    Surprisingly, most people seem more concerned with the safety of the couchsurfing aspect than the motorcycling aspect.  Personally, I feel safe staying with someone that has invited me into their home.  Plus, we will get to truly experience the local culture as we go….a service that you can not buy through any travel agent. 
    However, there are many aspects of this trip that are dangerous.  We would like everyone to realize that we are not going into this blindly.  We do realize the risks, have accepted them, and will do our best to minimize them.  Life is a balance of risks and rewards, we all agree that in this case, the rewards are worth the risks.

Why are you filming it, are you making a documentary?

            Well, we already had the camera equipment and it requires little modification to add a couple of camera mounts to a motorcycle.  We would like to document the whole trip for memories sake, but if publicity of this trip keeps picking up momentum who knows.  Also we would love to help spread the word of couchsurfing.com with a promotional video.

How can you afford to pay for this trip?

    I wonder if it is a common assumption that we are some rich kids living it up while spreading daddy’s money around the world.  If so, I can honestly tell you that this could not be farther from the truth.  Rodger is currently waiting tables, Andrew is a lowly intern, and I work for the slave wages known as a “graduate student stipend”.   Try asking your parents for money to ride a motorcycle round the globe…then you’ll believe us.
    Secondly, you would be amazed at how cheaply you can eat when you give up the little things (like taste and nutrition).  Also, there will be only three hotel stays during this entire trip, each with the purpose of registering our visas (Russia, Kazakhstan, China).