CouchSurfing: Why Always Bring A Friend

Hello! I don't usually post on Reddit, but after my recent experience, I really just need to tell somebody about it. This is a story from our trip to Turkey 2 years ago. <br><br><br><br>My friend Rachel (not her real name) and I are both American, but we live in Germany (for graduate school and work, respectively). We met through mutual friends, and only actually spent a weekend together before deciding it would be fun to go on vacation together.<br>The first weekend we spent together was fine. We went to a movie and got some food/dessert afterwards, and it was fine. The next weekend we went to the museum and a park, and again, fine. <br>I finally asked her to go on a trip out of country (I had already bought a ticket to Turkey to visit some friends, and thought it would be a cool experience for us to spend a few days together before heading to my friend's). I told her what train station to meet me at the airport, and she said she was excited. <br>It was only after she had already bought her ticket that I realized, she might not be the right person to travel with. She wanted to do things I wasn't interested in, like drinking. Which is fine, but when I said I'd rather go to the movies, she wanted to drink afterwards, and it seemed like drinking was really important to her. <br>Only problem was that we didn't have anyone else to go with, and neither of us wanted to go alone. Neither of us had ever been on a trip with just 2 people. So, we were kind of stuck going together. I gave her some hints- I don't like going to bars. She ignored me and made plans to meet up with someone in Istanbul. It was my birthday, so I was really stressed already, and I told her she didn't have to meet me, that I would just go to the hotel and rest and she could meet me for dinner. Since I was being a baby, she said no, she would come with me to the hotel and help me get the key. <br>It was clear she didn't like the hotel- no bar, but she said it would be fine. But- when we were dropped off at the main road and had to walk to the hotel, she got upset.<br>She started ranting. No, really, no idea why. She did apologize after, and we went to dinner at a restaurant near Taksim Square, and she actually seemed like a nice person. <br>Then, we went home, and I was so tired. I had an early ticket to my friend's village the next day, so I went to sleep. She woke me up, crying, and saying she wanted to go home. I asked her why, and she said she didn't want to be left alone, and what if something happened. I offered to stay with her another night (she had been planning on staying a few days anyway, to explore Istanbul and meet people). <br>But she refused. <br>She said that she wanted to either cancel the ticket (and lose the money) and come to the village with me, or that I cancel and stay with her in Istanbul. <br>This was at 3am. Neither option was good for me. I had promised to attend a wedding in the village, and bought a new dress for it, and was picked up at the airport by the groom, so I told her my answer was no. <br>She still would not leave me alone, and even though she is not that big, she was much bigger than me, and I was in my pajamas and tired, and not thinking clearly, so after a few hours, she convinced me. <br>I said we could cancel our tickets, but only if we could get a full refund. She went to the airport alone to ask them, and they said no. Then when she came back, she was convinced that we just needed to get out of Istanbul. And she had heard Izmir was really nice, so we took a bus to Izmir. <br>The whole way there, no matter what I wanted to do, she would freak out. She wanted to go to a thermal bath, and I didn't think it was a good idea to take my phone in the water, so I said I'd prefer to go to the beach.<br>She started yelling at me, saying I didn't care about her. That really, no one cared about her, and she was going to go home. I told her again I was tired, and I just didn't have the patience for her hysterics anymore. <br>So, when we got to Izmir, I said I just wanted to chill in a park, and maybe get some food. <br>She freaked out again. <br>There was a CouchSurfing event going on. One of the hosts offered to let us come with him and his other guests to a restaurant. So we went. She seemed fine. I told her it would probably be better if she just went home, and she said she wasn't leaving Izmir. So we went to the restaurant, and I was happy she was happy. <br>We went to his place, and he showed us where we could sleep. It was fine. I was calming down.<br>In the morning, he made us coffee, and she felt sick. She threw up, and he offered her special medicine tea. I went out to buy us some breakfast, and she was happy. <br>When I got back, he said we could come with him and his wife (and her sister) to the beach, and we said yes.<br>The whole drive there, Rachel was quiet, and not herself. But when we got to the beach, she said she felt better, and it was really pretty. <br>They were nice enough to buy our bus ticket to get home, and even let us borrow 50 Lira (like 10€). But it was just.. their friends kept coming over. And it felt like we were starting to be a burden. More people were coming, and I couldn't explain to them what was going on. He didn't speak any English. <br>But I also didn't want to be rude. So we thanked them and left, and went to a café near the bus stop.<br>The whole time we were sitting there, she was not herself. And I felt like I just made everything worse.<br>As soon as we got on the bus, she told me not to talk to her and to leave her alone. I said fine, and tried to sleep. <br>When we got to Izmir, we hailed a taxi, and went to the hotel she had chosen. <br>I just wanted to chill. And maybe get food. But when we went to check in, they said they were full. And she flipped out. She started crying, and asking me to pay for a better hotel. <br>I told her no- we had paid for the other hotel in Istanbul, and if she had been satisfied with my choice, we wouldn't be in Izmir. She said she was tired and sick, and how selfish I was. <br>I said fine. I would pay for a hotel, but I was going back to the airport, and I wanted nothing to do with her anymore. If she changed her mind, she could text me. <br>I walked away, and she followed, saying I was being mean to her and I didn't care about her. <br>I told her to stop harassing me and let me go, or I would call the police. And she finally left. <br>But.. then I got to the airport, and she was there. At the same check in desk, waiting for her ticket. <br>Since I was already there, I asked if she could also get on the same flight.<br>They made her wait for a few minutes, and then told her no, because she didn't speak Turkish.<br>I was relieved, but I still had a bad feeling. <br>So, when I went through security, I told the attendant that the woman behind me was acting strangely. <br>He just smiled, and told me not to worry about it. <br>I went to the gate, and was sitting there, when she walked in. <br>I didn't say anything to her. Just tuned out the minute she sat down next to me. <br>But on the plane, when we were both sitting in our seats, she put her hand on my arm and said she was sorry. <br>And I believed her. <br>When we landed, I didn't care where she went. I was so tired and relieved that it didn't matter what she did. <br>But she told me she was also going on the regional train, and I said- fine. I'll show you the way to the train station. <br>And I did. And she found her train. So I found my train, and went to the end of the line, and called a taxi to take me home. <br>I did not hear from her again. I assume she made it home safely. <br>I don't know what happened. I don't really care. But I think it's good to tell people about this, because I don't want anyone to get themselves into a dangerous situation with someone they don't know. <br><br>&#x200B;