Announcing "Friendstay"

For the past few weeks, I’ve been quietly working on a new personal project I’m calling Friendstay — a very simple, Earth-conscious way of living, traveling, and connecting with friends and community.

The idea is straightforward: instead of maintaining a fixed home or carrying a lot of possessions, I’m practicing an extremely minimalist form of regional nomadism. I travel with two backpacks, cook simple meals, bring my own bedding, and ask only for a flat spot to sleep for a few nights at a time. In return, I contribute light help around the house, share food, offer cultural exchange, and generally try to leave each home a little better than I found it.

Friendstay is my attempt to explore a different rhythm of life — one rooted in trust, low impact, simplicity, and small-scale community. It’s not a program or a platform; it’s more like an open-source practice that anyone can adapt in their own way.

I’ve now stayed with two hosts, and the experience has been encouraging enough that I’m formalizing the framework and documenting it openly. If you’re curious about the deeper idea, or want to understand how the model works, I’ve written more here:

• Main Friendstay Concept Page:
  https://matthewavl.com/friendstay
• Friendstay for Hosts (what hosting me actually looks like):
  https://matthewavl.com/friendstay-for-hosts

This is still an experiment, and I’m learning as I go. But it already feels meaningful — a small, human antidote to the quiet isolation that so many of us sense in modern life.

If the idea resonates, I’d love for you to follow along as I share updates, reflections, and stories from the journey.