All good things must come to an end, which is why I've stopped drinking. Wait…traveling. I've stopped traveling. Though they did begin to feel like one in the same at some point. Sadly my four months in NZ & Australia came to a close last week, and I am now back in the US.
No matter how amazing your hostel, there will come a day when some lowly guest finds it unworthy of his standards. You could give everyone a 6 week old puppy to cuddle with when they check in, and this guy will complain that it's a black lab.
Oh, complaints. In terms of enjoyment, they are right up there with clogged toilets and overbooking on a festival weekend. For some, a close tie with an extended visit from the in-laws. Some complaints are warranted, while others are just nit-picky.
How do I even begin to describe the magic that is the Arts Factory Lodge? It may be unlike any other hostel in the world. Word on the street was you either love it or you hate it.
One time I had a great guy who was supposed to start training on reception. Thankfully so, because I was about to be really understaffed.
A couple weeks ago, a large group of people in the hostel and tourism industry gathered in Sydney. Naturally, it was in a bar, but this time it wasn't just to have some laughs or talk of taking down HostelWorld or steal housekeeping secrets.
Last weekend I attended Base Mingle in Sydney, an industry event slash huge party (aren't those usually one in the same?). A few drinks in and I was agreeing to join part of a surf camp that week with the guys from Surf Camp Australia.
As you know from Part 1 of this blog post, I had been feeling a bit lonely on the road due to the quiet nature of low season in New Zealand.
Before I left, I thought that between all of the hostels & dorm rooms, tours & activities, I may start feeling a bit crowded and crave some 'me time'. I was surprised to find the opposite true.
At the tender young age of 5, I became a thief. My loot was a box of new Crayola markers; the scene of the crime was Sunday School. Yes, after learning about The Good News (still not sure what that really meant) I spied markers in my assigned desk. And I stole them.
