Hosteling
I forgot how great hosteling was. It’s like a whole different way of living. Like a commune, ha ha. But every single day there is a new person or 2 or 8 in your room from Germany, Ireland, England, Canada, etc (those are the most common). You talk to them, sometimes you hit it off and go to the pub with them or something. You see the same people over and over while you travel too– we saw the same German guy in Sydney, Byron and Brisbane!
You share rooms, kitchens, TVs, bathrooms. It’s cheesy, but you know you are all sharing roughly the same experience. You know these people all wanted to see more of the world and learn new things, just like you. You know they are spending most of their hard-earned money for a chance to take a trip that most people only dream of taking.
Currently the most common question you ask a new acquaintance is, “Are you going north or south?” because everyone around here in Oz is pretty much going up or down the East Coast.
But after that, the most common questions are: “Where are you from?” “How long have you been here?” “How long do you have left?” and “Where else are you going/have you gone?” I guess those are pretty obvious questions, though.
But obviously not everything about hosteling is great. You have to deal with dirty bathrooms and dorm rooms and kitchens, inconsiderate dorm mates, rude workers, foam beds (my back is killing me today!) and other annoying things.
Ok, that’s it for now.
Tags: 'Deep Thoughts', Australia
Kelly