Staying in a Hostel.

One more thing that my friend wrote.  This is his, "6 Essential Questions to Ask Before Staying in a Hostel" article.  It is very interesting, and well written.  I just wish that I had thought of these first, but oh well.  I do agree with what he said though, and wish I had known some of this when I was in Europe. 

The hostel traveler is often one who seeks adventure, has a passion for making new friends, and desires to avoid the corporate world of hotels and resorts (either by choice or due to a collegiate budget). When deciding to go the route of the hostel, it is necessary to examine whether or not it will fit with your level of comfort – while the hosteling world is friendly, it is also a little dirtier, rougher, and less refined then traveling with Hilton.
Here are 6 questions to ask yourself before planning your hostel stay:
Question #1: What does my budget allow?
Many people stay in hostels simply because it is less expensive (although this is not as true in the United States as it is in the rest of the world). If your finances are limited to $50-$100/day in Europe or $25-$50/day in South America and Asia, then the hostel may be your best, and only, financial option.
Question #2: Can I handle roommates?
One of the greatest thrills, and fears, of hostel travel is the fact that you will be sharing a room with 3-20 other travels of either gender. This is great for people interested in meeting others, but this also means that you will have people entering and leaving the room at all hours, whispered conversations throughout the night, and alarms blaring at 5 am.
Question #3: Do I have valuables that I cannot lose?
There is a common respect between hostellers. I accidently left my passport on my bed while showering and it was still there when I returned. I have also seen iPods, phones, and cameras that people have left in the room all day – with no problem. But sadly there are still crooks. If you have large sums of cash, important documents, or equipment worth thousands of dollars, you may prefer the safety of your own room in a hotel.
Question #4: What kinds of attractions do I want to experience?
Hostelling gives you an “in” that is often missed out when staying at a resort. Most hostellers want to get past the traditional touristy activities and will talk with locals and other travellers to find venues and attractions that the family with 2.3 kids from Manhattan will miss out on. Hostels are a great place to get insights from other travelers and locals on the best places to check out in a city.
Question #5: Do I want social interaction with people outside my group?
If you are going on vacation with your family or a “clicky” group of friends, then even if you stay in hostels you may not get the full hostel experience. But if you are traveling alone, with a small group, or an incredibly social group, then hostels are perfect. Breakfast is eaten together, stories are swapped, and you find a new best friend every day.
From my personal experience, while in Rome I travelled to the Vatican with a Frenchman and a Mexican one day, went to the Coliseum with a few girls from Denmark the next day, and then spent my last day at a Mediterranean beach with an Australian and two America girls studying abroad. Hostels are great for making friends and creating stories together.
Question #6: Do I have common sense?
Those who chose to travel by hostel often have little money – which means that you will try to cut costs wherever possible. Be careful. It is common knowledge that all travelers have some money, and in some countries, a broke Westerner is still rich. Be smart, use common sense, and your trip will be memorable and enjoyable.
Do It!

Hostel travel is a blast - especially for college students. I did my first big trip before Facebook – but several trips since then I have made friends who I still keep in touch with over the internet. In fact, if you’re social enough during your travels, the next trip you go on may be to visit friends you have made through previous travels.
Backpacking Europe or Asia is something that every college student should experience. As you discover the giganticness of the world, the incredible variety of cultures and peoples, you discover the smallness of your previous world. Traveling provides you with perspective – and gaining new perspectives is invaluable in business, relationships, and success in life.

This article was written by Rob Erich.

15 things to get rid of:

So, I saw this a while ago, and then again just recently and thought I would share it.  It really makes you think about what is "needed" in your life and what makes you happy.  I thought it was really good. 




Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right

 There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control

Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame

 Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk

 Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs

about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!
“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining

 Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism

Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others

Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change

 Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels

 Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses

Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past

I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment

This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.