Hanging out with complete strangers wasn’t bad at bad at all, even for me, a painfully shy girl.  There was always a party going on at the deck from afternoon till late night. Anyone could put music on and then everybody joined.  Barbecues, drinking, dancing, talking and just chilling at the deck, that how I spent my time in the hostel.  I love profound conversations. You know, like serious talks with people from different cultures and backgrounds.  A small group from different countries talked about marriage and monogamy.  It sure was a very fun, intense and interesting exchange of experiences, ideas and stories.
I thought that only poor travelers stayed at hostels. I was quite wrong! Most of the people there seemed to have money. They dressed up nicely with expensive and stylish clothing. But best of all, they looked clean and educated. I am sure every hostel is different as well as the people staying there. I don’t doubt there are horror stories from other hostels, but I was lucky to find one that was safe, clean and fun in my first solo travel.  No one was allowed to bring friends in. The door remained locked, and there was a pin you had to put to get in.
Ah, I almost forgot to tell you. I spent only $110 for 2 nights and 3 days! The hostel was like 15 steps from the beach. I didn’t need to move from the couch in the deck to contemplate the view. More than at least 50 bars were at walking distance from the hostel. My favorite one was just like less than 3 minutes from the Bungalow Beach Hostel.
If you travel to San Diego I recommend staying at that hostel, seriously, you will have a great time. Â Would you stay in a hostel? Have you already? How was your experience? Check my first solo travel adventure in San Diego.
Very interesting! I love all your photos.
To be honest, before reading your article I would’ve never considered staying at a hostel. I didn’t know it could be as comfortable as you described it.
Seems like a fun -and super easy- way to meet other travelers, too.
Love it! I Was kÃnder ok nerves to be there but would like to try once in a second chance ?
I have started to embrace the North American Hostel culture within the past year. There are quite a few decent boutique hostels in Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, and even Indianapolis, which has been my favourite hostel stay to date.
What I think makes most people a bit hesitant to stay in hostels are the rumoured “debauchery and party culture” you hear about in other hostels around the world, especially in Southeast Asia. The reality is that not all hostels are like that.