a love letter to hostels
my hacker house withdrawal speaking
there was a really quirky friend during my undergrad that told me about hostels. the type of friend tells you about obscure bakeries or random landmarks that only long-time locals would know. at the time i didn’t really get her knack for finding random places but after trying those places i knew to always trust her recommendations.
the first time she told me about a hostel i was bewildered. sleeping in a room with 3-7 other strangers? what a concept.
but then i actually stayed in one and loved it. now i get sad when i go to a city and there are no hostels. hostels carry the spirit of the wanderer — free walking tours, discounts, tips on places to check out in the city, gently nudging people with their colorful bulletin boards to go out and explore the grounds.
the hostel i stayed at in denver this summer, fish hostel, was absolutely beautiful. walking in i was welcomed with a big colorful staircase. the rooms were themed. my walls were covered in maps.
the volunteer at the front desk told me that the owner built the hostel from scratch, from the beds down to every piece of decoration.
that day i accidentally slept on the wrong bed so i went to the front desk. while waiting in the lobby for them to remake the bed, i met someone wearing a “carnegie mellon” shirt. we looked at each other, wide eyed, and instantly became friends. the conference wouldn’t have been the same without a familiar face and friend to walk back with every day.
the hostel i stayed at in quebec city was situated along a steep hill. walking in, i was mesmerized with how much natural light the building had. my room had 4 bunk beds but the high ceilings and large windows felt roomier than any apartment i’ve ever stayed in.
my roommates at the montreal hostel were delighted to discover it was my first time exploring canada. they thoroughly doused me with recommendations for places to see in toronto the next day. per their recommendation i went to check out centre island by ferry. it was absolutely gorgeous at sunset.
[not a hostel but] the airbnb i stayed at in toronto came with two cats that found every chance to sleep with me. one of them, teddy, gleefully used my blanket-covered leg as her toy. every night i tried my best not to move so her primal instincts wouldn’t accidentally be triggered.
i stayed for one night at nw portland hostel while passing through this week. walking in, the volunteer warmly greeted me, handed me a map and circled all the local spots to see in my one short day there. the hostel had been family operated for the last 26 years. it has 6 different buildings along the block and neighboring pastel houses.
it costs more to travel to a small city without hostels than a bigger city with hostels. hostels hover around $30-60 a night even in san francisco and they are almost always nice. sadly many hostels had to close during covid. i’m so grateful for the ones that are still around. as usual, my quirky friend was right. next time you’re in a city, show the hostels some love :) and let me know which other ones to check out (or go to together!)