It is with a heavy heart that we’re dropping this episode to let all our listeners know that Maui (Steven Barbarito) is no longer with us and sadly passed away on December 19th, 2023. This news has been difficult for everyone, especially Steve’s family and his closest friends. With that said, we wanted to take some time to reflect on the amazing moments we had not only on the podcast or the Reno trips but also all the great memories throughout the years growing up with Steve. We’d hoped to get this episode out sooner but wanted to make sure everything was done properly as it will be the last Couch Surfin’ episode. This podcast was Steve’s idea/vision, and it doesn’t feel the same to continue and record episodes without him. So hopefully we’re able to shed some light on the amazing person that Steve was with this episode, and just let him know how much he is truly missed every day.

This episode was recorded on July 8, 2023 and is the last episode that Maui (Steven Barbarito) is in before his passing. At the time season 4 was getting into full swing, and on this episode the boys dive into a number of topics, all tying into one another. They start off discussing if deep conversations are good to have with a person of interest from the get go, then go into hookup culture, gender roles, raising children, red flags, body counts, and the importance of communication in relationships!

In this week's episode, the boys get into what constitutes as adulting, and around what age people can really start considering themselves an adult. The conversation diverges into family dynamics/gender roles.

In this week's episode, the boys get into the idea of the 7 deadly sins. They each analyze which one they struggle with the most, versus which ones give them no trouble at all. They also look at the flip side and see which virtues they display on a consistent basis.

In this week's episode, the boys talk about how they approach video games and how it might tie into the way they approach life.

The year is flying by, and Summer is almost halfway over! So much has changed since the last episode, which was a few months ago. The boys dive right back into recent updates in their life, and talk about how they plan to tackle the rest of 2023!

This week we have a couple of special guests, one of who is making his first appearance on the podcast. So on this week's episode, Waffles and our guests talk about the current job market with all the ongoing layoffs and also dive into how crazy the weather has been lately.

In this week's episode, the boys talk about some demons they've fought throughout their lifetime and Maui dives into his current battle against giving up vaping. We've all been at that point where we need to make a change in our life but it's not easy. Maui reminds us that these challenges are often like a war, sometimes you might lose some battles along the way but as long as a majority of the time you stay strong, you will overcome the challenge.

This week we have a short episode/clip, about how Maui views some of the mental health issues he's faced throughout his life. Many people allow their mental health struggles to dictate who they are, but Maui gives some insight into how these struggles can be beneficial.

In this week's episode, Maui talks about the mind games he plays on himself while at the gym. The boys also talk about how there are so many temptations these days, and how to not give in to them.

In this week's episode, the boys break down what it takes to be a leader and who they would trust to lead them. Maui also talks about his dream to build an empire in a sense and how he's working to reach those heights!

Growing up watching cartoons after school and on the weekends was the best! When you think about it, a lot of those shows had a big impact on the people we are today. So for this week's episode, the boys think about the cartoons that really shaped who they became/are the most.

Growing up did you ever play any trading card games? The boys reminisce on their early college days when some of these TCGs took up a large part of their life! Maui also dives into the concept of game theory and how it's very applicable to everyday life.

As we've just finished the first month of 2023, the boys decide to look back on 2022 as a whole. They discuss the ups and downs they've faced throughout the year and also go down the rabbit hole of reminiscing on pivotal moments from their past. No matter how your 2023 has started, we hope everyone keeps their head's up and continue to work towards those goals! 

Have you ever been in a long-term relationship before? If you have then you know that there are various stages of a relationship that both sides go through. In this week's episode, Waffles dives into his own relationship and the moments that helped solidify it to the point of getting engaged. 

The boys continue their discussion from last week about how Waffles seemingly appears to get protected by "Plot Armor" continually throughout his life. If you haven't listened to part 1, go check that out first!

In this week's episode, the boys get into how Waffles somehow has plot armor that has been protecting him his whole life. The boys also dive into if it's important to pay attention to love languages, how sad the anime "Grave of the Fireflies" is, and the amazing aspects of Gurren Lagann. The boys really got into these topics so this is just part 1 of the episode!

Throughout time there are questions people have asked in regard to religion that often seem like they've been left unanswered. So in this week's episode, the boys take a go at possibly providing some answers or reasoning to these questions. In doing so they touch on some other semi-related topics such as space and flat earth theory!

In this week's episode, the boys talk about the concept of regression and figuring out what time in their life would act as a checkpoint for them. In a sense time, they were at a fork in the road but might have gone the wrong way. Looking back can you point out a time when you were at a fork in the road? Would you do anything different about your decision at that moment?

It's that time of year again when everyone seems to be getting sick. Being sick plus the sun going down much earlier makes you want to stay indoors and not do anything. Maui and Bambi talk about where their headspace was at while they were sick and how they get back into the groove of things once recovered! We hope everyone is able to stay healthy this holiday season 🤞