More or less, Same Bag, Different Bunk: My Life Inside American Hostels came together by accident. The book, which details what it’s like to volunteer in and spend significant time traveling through American hostels, was written over the span of a few months, although it delivers as a collection of essays, interviews, and reflections from the road I had compiled over the course of more than one year.
Like other writing projects of mine, this book became a sum of its parts, and there wasn’t necessarily a plan behind its structure and overall vision. The book, like hostel living, is not necessarily linear, but it embodies, I hope, the bohemian, free-spirit of the hostel lifestyle by illustrating many of its unique characteristics, which are driven largely by the individuals that make it up. It's the characters, after all, which keep many of us hooked on the hostel lifestyle.
As I state in the book, the experience of staying in hostels, and thus, my understanding of them, would not have been as deep and impactful as it was, had I not picked the right hostel to volunteer at in the first place. That was in San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood, at the ITH San Diego Adventure Hostel (RIP), almost two years ago to the day. So, of course, there deserves to be a big shout-out to ITH Hostels, who have not only helped guide me along in this journey of writing about hostel living but also opened the door for me in many ways beyond just welcoming me as a volunteer and content writer.
Bobby and Jimmy, in particular, impacted not only my journey as a traveler and hostel volunteer but also my life in a larger sense. Their wealth of knowledge, constant can-do attitude, and creative way of solving certain problems or dealing with unexpected curveballs are something I've been able to apply to my own life, especially while swapping out bunks and moving through hostels around California. Bobby and Jimmy are as integral to this story as anyone else, and I’m grateful to have spent as much time as I have around them; this book would not have been possible without their support.
This book, the journey, the whole hostel experience, moreover, would not likely have ever occurred for me had I been at a point in my life where a life change was not possible. But sometimes those changes happen when we least expect them, and often occur when we need them to.
In reading Same Bag, Different Bunk, you’ll find that there are ups and downs to living on the road as a vagabond and being beholden to the moment rather than certain responsibilities. Not every moment of hostel living, moreover, is as idyllic as it might sound, nor is it always as eventful or romantic as it might appear on someone’s social media page. But perhaps the most profound thing about it is the unpredictable nature of it, and how every day can be different, with a wide array of people constantly coming and going, and there always potentially being something new to do, with someone different, all the time. From that, there is a constant ability to continue learning—and sharing—knowledge of not only the world but also oneself and how it figures into that picture.
The overall goal of this book is not to merely tell people about hostels; it is to illustrate to them how impactful a single night stay can be for someone, as this is something I have seen firsthand, time and time again. I know that, just as well, my experience, for as unique as it has been, is also highly relatable, and that there are countless people out there who could put a pen to paper and write a book about all the ways hosteling has changed their lives and opened their minds.
If this book helps inspire more people to choose a hostel over a hotel or renting a spare bedroom in someone's house the next time they book a trip, then all the better. Because, for as much as this book is my story, it’s also a reflection of the backpackers, nomads, vagabonds, and fellow wanderers who have found themselves in a situation they didn’t quite expect, but quite enjoy.
The ones you can only find in a place like this: American hostels.
