Couch Surfing Fail

So last night sucked.

I left Glacier at about 6, but before I did I took advantage of the free wifi at the last visitor center. To my pleasure two hosts had replied. Not knowing what could happen, I updated them both.

As I've been learning on this trip, I can safely add 1-2 hours at least to all predicted travel times. I very rarely drive straight through when I'm going to be in the car more than two hours. Google maps predicted 3 hours 3 minutes, but going by experience I told them both I'd be arriving around 10pm at the earliest. I asked both if that was OK, and assured them if it was too late I'd find something else. I had a feeling that the border crossing would take a bit, and figured I'd stop for wifi in the middle.

I honestly didn't want to drive all the way to Calgary last night for these reasons. I messaged people in a town closer to the border, but got no responses. I was right on both delays, and I arrived at about 10:15.

Host one, the one I thought I had the best chance of staying with, assured me it was only a three hour drive and I'd be in town around 9, ignoring my estimate. She tried to call while I was driving, but I have no service. I'm in a different country; my phone doesn't work right. I'm happy it works at all, and wifi is saving me.

Host two was easy going about it, but said she'd be out until 11:30. So I tried to arrange with host one.

I found wifi, messaged host one, explained the no service, wifi only situation. She said she was about to get in bed already, but if I was close the couch was mine. Got the OK. Got an address. Have her an estimate. Said "I'll head over. See you soon." I guess I assumed I'm leaving wifi and you won't be able to reach me was implied. Never assume.

I also assumed that I was driving to a house. No. Apartment complex. Great. Which apartment? I drove around the parking lot to see if she was outside waiting for me. Raining, so of course not.

I knew there must have been a follow up message, so it was back to looking for wifi.

Found it. Already 15 minutes later than I told her I'd be. Sure enough, a message one minute after I left wifi the first time. She told me where to park and what building she was in. Great! Headed back.

Wandered around figuring out which building. Found it. Great, 20 units with buzzers and the door is locked. It didn't occur to me until after I got back that I now knew a building but not an apartment number. Do I buzz them all? At 11 o'clock on a Wednesday? No.

So I just stood outside in the open looking super shady, hoping she'd look out and see me. Now 30 minutes after I said I'd be there. At different times I thought I heard knocking on a window, and someone saying "Hello?" Were those addressed to me? No idea. And how did they help me?

Pull out my phone to see if there are any open networks. Of course not.

By 11:30, 45 minutes after my expected arrival time, I gave up. I could have went back to my wifi spot again and figured it out. I could have. But I got the impression she was already annoyed and/or asleep, and might leave a bad reference. Still early in the trip, I don't need that. Rather than wake her up, piss her off, only to then be shooed out at 6am anyways.... Nah.

I found a new wifi spot, with a better connection. Sent her a message apologizing, and saying I'll figure something else out. No response; either sleeping or pissed off. Still no response this morning, so I'm leaning towards pissed off.

I tried again to contact host two. No response.

So I made another plan, to hide in plain sight again. It worked. I slept OK but could have used a few extra hours. I'm sitting in a McDonald's (in a Walmart) writing this on my phone. When a library opens at 9 I'll go there.

Lessons learned:

- Trust my instinct. I didn't want to drive all the way to Calgary last night. I knew it'd be too late. I let this happen.

- Be abundantly clear that wifi is my only way to connect to communicate while I'm in Canada. No extra info while I'm on the way. I can't call or text.

- Get all of the information. House or apartment? Apartment number? Where do I park? Which door? How do I let you know I'm there? I can't call or text.

- Have a back up plan anyways. The surf might not work out for so many reasons.

I'm annoyed, a little groggy, but I also realize this is partly (mostly?) my fault. Yes, it's largely the lack of cell service, but I also wasn't prepared enough or thinking everything completely through. It's not really her fault at all. She didn't give me complete information, but she's probably used to being able to just send a quick text.

So... I search again today. Hopefully things go a little (a lot) better.