You are not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
Day 1.
Ireland is awesome. Very green, laid back and the people are super nice. I will really enjoy the week here. What a great place to start an adventure. Which brings me to my first night in a hostel--the Sleepzone in Galway Ireland.
I thought I had signed up for a room of 20 beds but I must have had this confused with another night. My room was a mixed room with three beds. I was the first one here so I got room 29 (third floor) bed number one. I went upstairs, claimed my bed, and started looking for the shower. (I was in a little fog since I was running on one hours sleep and no bath for two days :)). There are 9 rooms per floor and each floor has one bathroom with two toliets and one shower. I showered, dripped dry (left my towel in the room)and felt likt a million dollars. When I returend to the room I meet one of my roomates, a young girl from Sweden. We noded and said hello and I quickly figured out that she did not speak English. I spent the rest of the day exploring Galway and thinking about this whole Hostel thing.
I returned to my room about 6.30 to get my jacket( the high today was 58) and as I was leaving my second "roomate for the night" stopped by to drop off her backpack. She was German and also does not speak much English. I left for more exploring and some dinner. During my evening explorations I kept thinking about this whole Hostel thing and was I going to be able to sleep in a room (very small--one set of bunk beds and a single--no other furniture) with strangers every night. And I was thinking it would be a lot better if there was 20 beds because at least then you are part of a mass and not one of three. At least we did not speak the same langague so the silence was a little easier.
I finally headed for the room to call it a night about 9 after falling asleep on a park bench listening to some street musicans. I figured I would buy a newspaper, go to bed reading it, and go to sleep before my roomates got home. Easy for me since I was exhausted. I got back laid on the bed and started reading the newspaper. 5 minutes later here comes one of my roomates with a friend of hers. They set in the floor talking (making plans for the evening I figured out later) for about half an hour. Finally the left and I zonked. I woke up as each of them returned home for the evening but other than that I slept like a baby. It is now 7 am, I have showered and am updating my website, while they are still sleeping. I think I will wait until about 9 (checkout is at 10) to go back to the room and pack and hopefully they will be awake by then. This lack of personal space will take some getting used to but that is one of the reasons for the trip. Get out of that comfort zone. Or as Dorthy said, We are not in Kansas anymore Toto. Nor in Georgia.
I feel an inner exhiliration that is foriegn to me. I am a lucky man. More coffee and on to Dublin.
Ireland is awesome. Very green, laid back and the people are super nice. I will really enjoy the week here. What a great place to start an adventure. Which brings me to my first night in a hostel--the Sleepzone in Galway Ireland.
I thought I had signed up for a room of 20 beds but I must have had this confused with another night. My room was a mixed room with three beds. I was the first one here so I got room 29 (third floor) bed number one. I went upstairs, claimed my bed, and started looking for the shower. (I was in a little fog since I was running on one hours sleep and no bath for two days :)). There are 9 rooms per floor and each floor has one bathroom with two toliets and one shower. I showered, dripped dry (left my towel in the room)and felt likt a million dollars. When I returend to the room I meet one of my roomates, a young girl from Sweden. We noded and said hello and I quickly figured out that she did not speak English. I spent the rest of the day exploring Galway and thinking about this whole Hostel thing.
I returned to my room about 6.30 to get my jacket( the high today was 58) and as I was leaving my second "roomate for the night" stopped by to drop off her backpack. She was German and also does not speak much English. I left for more exploring and some dinner. During my evening explorations I kept thinking about this whole Hostel thing and was I going to be able to sleep in a room (very small--one set of bunk beds and a single--no other furniture) with strangers every night. And I was thinking it would be a lot better if there was 20 beds because at least then you are part of a mass and not one of three. At least we did not speak the same langague so the silence was a little easier.
I finally headed for the room to call it a night about 9 after falling asleep on a park bench listening to some street musicans. I figured I would buy a newspaper, go to bed reading it, and go to sleep before my roomates got home. Easy for me since I was exhausted. I got back laid on the bed and started reading the newspaper. 5 minutes later here comes one of my roomates with a friend of hers. They set in the floor talking (making plans for the evening I figured out later) for about half an hour. Finally the left and I zonked. I woke up as each of them returned home for the evening but other than that I slept like a baby. It is now 7 am, I have showered and am updating my website, while they are still sleeping. I think I will wait until about 9 (checkout is at 10) to go back to the room and pack and hopefully they will be awake by then. This lack of personal space will take some getting used to but that is one of the reasons for the trip. Get out of that comfort zone. Or as Dorthy said, We are not in Kansas anymore Toto. Nor in Georgia.
I feel an inner exhiliration that is foriegn to me. I am a lucky man. More coffee and on to Dublin.
posted by Bryan at 2:14 AM
<< Home