What is a hostel?

I’m sitting in the common room of Nomads Central Hostel in Wellington, New Zealand as I write this. Let’s call it inspiration.

It’s 8:30pm on a Tuesday evening in January (Summer in NZ).

As I look around I’m thinking that this is a fairly typical snippet into hostel life…

The ‘kitchen’ is bustling with ravenous backpackers all of them watching their pan of boiling water, making sure they don’t overcook their pasta. This is quite the task when using kitchen equipment, which is either dented, rusty, missing it’s handle or all of the above.

I eavesdrop in a conversation between a British guy and a German guy who are having the age old debate about different English accents whilst the British guy tries to brush up on his German. Turns out all he know is “Sauerkraut”…and he thinks it’s a sauce (I kid you not).

It’s prime time for television and a half decent film has finally come on so the cleaners decide now is the perfect time to turn on the industrial vacuum cleaner and clean around the suitably relaxed residents.

I glance over at the ‘NO ALCOHOL’ sign, which is refreshing to see that both the guests and staff have chosen to ignore.

It’s hard to define a hostel as I believe it really depends on which continent you are in. I find that the less developed countries offer a better standard of accommodation for loose change in your pocket. Check into a hostel in the ‘Western World’ and you’ve got to make your own bed for $40 a night!

I guess a hostel is a melting pot of different languages, accents, cultures, stories and experiences, which is constantly changing everyday. For this reason, they are the best places on Earth.

They are home…for now.