As freelance journalist, I soon realized the need of a background job. I mean, an activity that, every month, guarantees me money to pay regular bills. For someone who loves to travel, working in a hostel proved to be the best option and became a lifestyle.
This morning I did three check-ins. I got impressed twice: except the quiet south korean couple, first I was amazed with a kiwi artist, who showed me a moleskine notebook filled with drawings of every city where she stopped. Secondly, I was jealous of an algerian musician, who came hitchhiking from his hometown, Oran. The truth is: in the last three years, I made friends from Finland and Iran, I tried traditional polish drinks and I met alternative bands from Colombia.
Bomba Estéreo – Em Alma Y El Cuerpo
Nevertheless, my boss is from Estonia, I had training with a portuguese girl whose roots are in India and, every weekend, I work together with another one with african ancestors. One laundry lady is ukrainian and another is from Russia. Perfect: I´m being payed not only to speak english but I also have the chance to practice russian language.
Of course, working in a hostel is not all roses: can you imagine to look for the wi-fi networks in a chinese laptop?; what about the portuguese dishes, those footless bastards, who have to be taken to the dishwasher? But the hardest, ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch!, the hardest is when a cute girl is leaving… and you missed the chance to tell her your thoughts. (Don´t worry, you are still waiting for an icelandic group.)
So, really, who wouldn´t like to work in a hostel? Neither an author awarded with the nobel prize or a well-succeeded journalist would refuse!
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What a lovely way of writing travel memories! Love it . Now I also want to work in a hostel 😀
For those who wish to work in a hostel, first, be sure that you’ve stayed as a guest at a hostel. Personally, I have loved it but it is a very pared-down existence in tight quarters. So, be prepared. Or just jump right in.
I totally agree, you have first to be a guest to understand the concept of a hostel because it is not just a place to have a crazy night, it’s also a space to respect the others and understand there are different people from cultures and with different backgrounds… thanks for commenting Henry! PedroL
Glad to join in the discussion. I love to travel. Ideally, I would be doing it all the time. And hostels, along with bed and breakfasts and other options, are awesome!
You should try then 🙂 let me know if you succeed 🙂 PedroL