I'll admit it. I was
apprehensive about staying in an unfamiliar city in a shared room with a bunch
of strangers. When we booked our stay in Nashville, I immediately had a twinge
of regret for even suggesting the idea of a hostel. As a kid, I loved
"roughing it" every summer for our annual camping trip (even if
"roughing it" meant an air mattress and campsite with running water).
As I got older, though, I preferred the hotel experience - a cozy bed, warm
spot by the pool, and tiled showers. So, the idea of sleeping in bunk beds and
having to wear shoes in the shower as an adult wasn't something I had seriously
considered.
But here I was.
We arrived right at 3:00 PM on Friday - check in time. We wanted to be the first ones there to stake claim on the best beds... whatever that meant. A nice woman in her early-20s with thick-rimmed glasses greeted us at the front desk. I glanced over her shoulder at the industrial sized washers and dryers as sheets and towels were tossed around in the rinse cycle. I wondered how well those washers worked. As she looked up our reservation information, I took a better look around the common space. Complete with mini fridges, worn leather couches, and a well-loved pool table, it appeared to be a decent hang out spot, but I doubted two nights would be long enough to fit in any time to hang out around here.
We were given our room keys and a brief tour, then shown to the elevator. As the doors opened up, plywood walls covered in sketches and writings revealed themselves inside. Notes left behind by travelers from all over the world.
We made our way to our room and made a fast friend in the one other occupant there. Her name was Ise, a singer from Australia with a curly bun toppled on her head. She had just arrived in town the night before and had already been invited to join a band on stage for a gig down the road. I listened to her solo travel stories in amazement, wishing I had a story to tell.
That evening, my friend and I attended wedding festivities (the whole reason we were in town) and arrived back at the hostel late at night. Standing outside the door were two Americans, both with a passion for composing lyrics. One carried a composition book with hand-written songs scribbled across wrinkled pages. After some peer-pressure, he shared his songs in the form of poetry. The other rapped a story about his life and upbringing. Another Australian joined our odd group to share his thoughts on the rhymes. And shortly after, an English woman stumbled outside and interrupted to ask for a lighter. She was barefoot and had six toes.
The next night was a similar story. We returned back to the hostel and joined a group of strangers from all parts of the world for a game of pool. We joked about accents and how to pronounce "Arkansas." The Australians thought it was pronounced like "Kansas." We laughed and talked as if we had known each other for years. There were no strangers in the room. Then, we just went our separate ways.
Maybe we got lucky with this particular hostel. Maybe not all hostels are as warm and inviting (and clean). But, if they are, I urge you to give them a chance. In just two nights, I met so many fascinating people who are pursuing their dreams of travel and music. I also met "ordinary" people like me, who just decided to try something new. I walked away inspired and feeling like the world was just a little bit smaller with a few new familiar faces. I will never regret the decision to save a few bucks, because the experience repaid us ten-fold.
If you want to check out Ise's music, click here: http://iseula.com/
But here I was.
We arrived right at 3:00 PM on Friday - check in time. We wanted to be the first ones there to stake claim on the best beds... whatever that meant. A nice woman in her early-20s with thick-rimmed glasses greeted us at the front desk. I glanced over her shoulder at the industrial sized washers and dryers as sheets and towels were tossed around in the rinse cycle. I wondered how well those washers worked. As she looked up our reservation information, I took a better look around the common space. Complete with mini fridges, worn leather couches, and a well-loved pool table, it appeared to be a decent hang out spot, but I doubted two nights would be long enough to fit in any time to hang out around here.
We were given our room keys and a brief tour, then shown to the elevator. As the doors opened up, plywood walls covered in sketches and writings revealed themselves inside. Notes left behind by travelers from all over the world.
We made our way to our room and made a fast friend in the one other occupant there. Her name was Ise, a singer from Australia with a curly bun toppled on her head. She had just arrived in town the night before and had already been invited to join a band on stage for a gig down the road. I listened to her solo travel stories in amazement, wishing I had a story to tell.
That evening, my friend and I attended wedding festivities (the whole reason we were in town) and arrived back at the hostel late at night. Standing outside the door were two Americans, both with a passion for composing lyrics. One carried a composition book with hand-written songs scribbled across wrinkled pages. After some peer-pressure, he shared his songs in the form of poetry. The other rapped a story about his life and upbringing. Another Australian joined our odd group to share his thoughts on the rhymes. And shortly after, an English woman stumbled outside and interrupted to ask for a lighter. She was barefoot and had six toes.
The next night was a similar story. We returned back to the hostel and joined a group of strangers from all parts of the world for a game of pool. We joked about accents and how to pronounce "Arkansas." The Australians thought it was pronounced like "Kansas." We laughed and talked as if we had known each other for years. There were no strangers in the room. Then, we just went our separate ways.
Maybe we got lucky with this particular hostel. Maybe not all hostels are as warm and inviting (and clean). But, if they are, I urge you to give them a chance. In just two nights, I met so many fascinating people who are pursuing their dreams of travel and music. I also met "ordinary" people like me, who just decided to try something new. I walked away inspired and feeling like the world was just a little bit smaller with a few new familiar faces. I will never regret the decision to save a few bucks, because the experience repaid us ten-fold.
If you want to check out Ise's music, click here: http://iseula.com/
