Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Day 1 - The wide spectrum of couchsurfers

Got up from my soft bed at the Omni, packed my stuff and headed downtstairs to Bongo to get some coffee with my roommate Kevin.

Our room Do Not Disturb tag has a free $5 purchase at Bongo Java so we decided to use it.

Then I head out to Milwaukee, Wisconsin - a 8 to 9 hour drive. Planning to stay with a couch surfer but when I get there, after a few minutes of chatting with him I get the vibes that I should jump ship ASAP.

The Story:
We text back and forth as I am driving to Milwaukee. As I am driving he keeps asking when I am going to get there even though I told him the time repeatedly (first sign of weirdness). When I arrive, I chat with him, and I begin notice that there is an ulterior motive for him to show me around the city. He suggests that other couch surfers in the past have paid for his lunch and dinner in return for showing him around. He is not pushy about it, but he is very suggestive about it and it definitely begins to make me feel uncomfortable. His roommate has a few friends over, so he asks to speak to his roommate outside, while I wait inside on the couch. I can hear the conversation through the window and door that separates us, and basically they are arguing about me staying over. WHAT?? He didn't tell his and additionally clear with his roommate that I was coming. After their 'conversation' I walk with him outside and he proceeds to call his landlady and ask his landlady if it is okay if I stay overnight. After that conversation is over, I ask him what happened between him and his roommate and after dodging the question I get the truth. Needless to say my intuition says LEAVE and so I tell him I cannot stay with him.

I call a second couchsurfer Shirish and he tells me to come over. Shirish is a breath of fresh air and my hero of the day. We chat for a while about the past circumstances, and also about our shared heritage: India and then we go out for dinner at a local Gyros restaurant that is amazing popular with the locals: Oakland Gyros

I order the original. It is simple and delicious.

Shirish is my hero!

After dinner we head out around town and he takes me to a bar that is called Two Bucks. All the beer and liquor is $2 with some exceptions for $3 beer

I order a LakeFront IPA for $2.00

Love the fact that is is $2-$3 beer.

We head on home after a few drinks. I knew Couchsurfing would have it share of moments and I am grateful that I met someone great when the situation appeared to go downhill.

Expenses: $42.38
Gas: $25.00
Dunkin Donuts: $2.52
Dinner: $11.86
Beverage: $3.00