My First Weekend In a Hostel- Would I Do It Again?

My First Experience in a Hostel

I am not sure what I expected when we arrived in London for our first weekend trip and realized that we would be staying in a hostel.  I suppose I expected a little hole in the wall, a very sketchy looking building with shady people hanging around. What I got was the opposite. Upon entering, the place was very hip and obviously catered to individuals around my age.  Modern furniture and light fixtures scattered the place, and even the workers were in their 20’s and dressed fashionably. I truly enjoyed the vibes that the hostel gave off. The bar downstairs came alive at night and there were loads of interesting and diverse people flowing in and out at all times.  

What held up to the infamous rumors was the community bathroom and our tiny rooms.  The rooms were small, as expected, with barely enough room for two people to be standing in the center at the same time.  The bathrooms were not the best, however, there resemble any other community bathroom.

To say the least, I was definitely showering with my chacos on.  

The thing I was most disappointed with was the food.  When purchasing this trip deal from Harlaxton I was secured a hostel for the weekend, transportation to London and back, and breakfast in the mornings.  Because of this, we were provided with a very cheap breakfast for our group. The normal hostel patrons that were not with our group had a wonderful breakfast in another breakfast room.  So if you will be staying at a hostel anytime soon, make sure to check out their menu before staying for a weekend.  After having a small unappetizing breakfast every morning, I ended up being hungry by 10.  

My overall stay was enjoyable.  The beds were comfy and the bedding clean.  I was only in my room for a couple hours at night and by the end of the day, I was so tired that I passed out in seconds.  I guess you don’t need much room if you are only using your room to sleep for 5 hours a night.

Would I stay in a hostel again?

I would stay in a hostel again if it was similar to the one I stayed in this past weekend.  Sure it wasn’t the best and I would WAY rather be pampered in a nice hotel. However, when it comes to budgeting and staying somewhere that will just be for a couple hours a night, I think it is worth it.  I was rooming with other students from my college, however, normally you could be sharing a room with strangers from all over. How cool would it be to meet a new travel buddy on the road!

Do your research first, and then try out a couple hostels before you decide if they are for you or not.  They just might be if you are looking for cost-efficient, interesting, and cheap travel.

Have you ever stayed in a hostel?  What was your experience like? Comment below!

With love,

Mattie

Journey to My New Home

The last 14 days have been absolutely crazy and amazing!  

I began my trip to the UK with a bit of a rough start- a flight cancelation.   I flew to the wonderful town of Philly and my 9-hour layover turned into a 24-hour layover.  Although I was exhausted, felt disgusting, and a bit disappointed that I would have to navigate through London by myself upon arrival, I was excited to have a few extra hours in Philly.  I had never been, so why not make it an adventure? I visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, met some really cool people, and had the BEST Philly cheesesteak I have ever had in my life.  My amazing Uber driver insisted that we stop for one on the way to the airport. Thank goodness we did! The sweet thing paid for my cheesesteak and insisted on taking my picture in front of the famous Geno’s, which I highly recommend if you are ever in Philadelphia.  

I eventually got on a flight and made it to London two days late…which meant I had to somehow navigate from the center of London to Grantham where I am currently living.  How I did it, I am not quite sure. I hauled my way-too-heavy luggage and took a deep breath and began the confusing route to my new home.

I kept calm and really, just followed what the (clearly) Londoners were doing.  I made it down to the underground and took the tube to Kings Cross Rail station and then hopped on a train to Grantham.  I made all the mistakes you can make, stopping and staring at the directions for too long, not getting off the tube quick enough, not knowing how to use my tube ticket correctly, etc.  Let me tell you, London is a whirlwind and is not named one of the biggest cities in the world for nothing.

On the train ride from London to Grantham.  I happened to meet the coolest dude on the train who had been traveling for 8 months and was just now heading home to surprise his family not far from where I am now.  He taught me so much that I didn’t know about England!

Finally, I jumped off the train and made it to a taxi and into Grantham and then I finally felt the nerves leave my body.  My breath was taken away as we weaved in and out of the countryside and began to see the manor in the distance.

I was awestruck and in love at the ease that I found in traveling alone, how inviting and exhilarating it was, and how many amazing and interesting people I met along the way to my destination.  

I have heard so many people tell me not to travel alone, that the world is big and dark and scary.  Sure there are evil, bad people out there. However, traveling alone and not knowing where you are going is an experience that has been life-altering.  I will from now on always see opportunities like this one as an adventure. Traveling alone, even if only for three days, is an experience that everyone should have.  I will forever wonder what stories are brewing in the minds of the people around me.

Try some solo travel.  You never know what your uber driver or the person sitting next to you on a train can teach you!

Click on this link to read some of my tips on traveling!

With love,

Mattie

Top Three Favorite Sites to See in London

I am absolutely in love with London.  I could see myself living here one day.  There is so much to do, see, and eat that I would never get bored.  There will always be a market you haven’t run across or a part of town that has yet to be explored.  The older buildings are magnificent and yet, there are also modern parts of the city that are filled with skyscrapers.  There is history dating back thousands of years. There are flowers around every corner and vines along every fence. London is beautiful.

There was so much to do in the two full days and two half days that I spent there!

Day One

We arrived late on a Thursday afternoon.  Some friends and I dropped our stuff off at our hostel and got going.  We trekked across the city to Buckingham Palace and marveled at the place where so many royals had been.  From there we walked around Green Park and then ventured to the Apollo Victoria Theatre to see Wicked…which was sooo great!  I will never get many of those songs out of my head.

Day Two

 

 

On day two we were able to explore:

• Notting Hill
• Hyde Park
• Kensington Palace
• Westminster Abbey
• Big Ben
• The London Eye
• Tower Bridge (commonly known as London Bridge)

Day Three

 

 

• Saint Paul’s Cathedral (completely worth the 500+ steps to the top for a great view of the city)
• Tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
• See The Merry Wives of Windsor at The Globe
• Borough Market
• China Town

Day Four

 

 

• Platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross Train Station
• Abbey Road
• Bakers Street
• British Museum

As you can see, we made the most of our time.  The wonderful thing about the UK is that the sun comes up at 4:30 and does not go down until 9pm.  How great?! We had plenty of time to do everything we wanted to do over the weekend.

My Favorite Places

Although I enjoyed the entire experience and everywhere we ventured, my favorite places were:

• Notting Hill
• Westminster Abbey
• The London Eye

If you enjoy neat food and street markets, Notting Hill is the place for you.  My friends and I ventured into several vintage and thrift shops along the way and marveled at the pastel buildings that were down every street.  We only got slightly overzealous with shopping.  

The view of London was magnificent from the top of the eye.  Of course, there are great places to get a brilliant view of the city that are a bit cheaper (ex. Saint Paul’s Cathedral).  However, I love the thrill of heights and wanted the great views of the Thames.  I was certainly not disappointed. 

If I had to choose one sight that was my favorite in London, it would have to be Westminster Abbey.  As soon as I saw it, my breath was taken away at its beauty. One of the best ways to experience it, and the cheapest, is to attend a mass.  It is free to attend any church service at the Abbey and so worth it. To sit in such a magnificent building and soak in its excellence was wonderful.  Unfortunately, I only have pictures of the outside!  While the service is free, visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside.  

I would go back in a heartbeat.  

Please please, if you are traveling to London anytime soon…these places are a must!  Let me know what you think below.  Are these places too touristy for you?  Have you visited any of these or plan to one day?

With love,

Mattie

Carpe Navigatio

I am studying abroad for six weeks this summer.  It feels so bizarre to type that.

I was so anxious for a long time.  Anxious and afraid to tell people I was studying abroad, because I didn’t think I could take the heartbreak if my financial situation didn’t work out and I couldn’t go.

But, here I am.  Thousands of dollars later, headaches, several breakdowns, and a team of supportive friends, I am on my way to Europe.

When I was a tween, about 7th grade, I began to realize that I was a traveler.  I loved being on the road. As I grew up, I changed schools and towns a handful of times.  Though it wasn’t much, and I may have been fairly melodramatic and emotional once or twice upon moving day (sorry mom and dad), I later began to welcome the change that came with moving.  I felt like each place I moved, I began to understand more about myself. I went from crowd to crowd until I began to find what I really enjoyed. I began to find my hobbies, independence, and identity in Christ that made me, me.  

With moving I found myself.  And I fell in love. So when I was 13, I scared the crap out of my parents and began talking about studying abroad.  They are a bit protective, so it took a while to get them on board.

It felt very unrealistic as I left home for college with $800 in my bank account, feeling quite broke after dropping thousands on a car and my first dreaded fall tuition. I kept going through my first year, struggling with contemplating what career path I wanted to head towards and struggling to find passion in the classes that were anything but.  

But then I attended a school fair with a million booths, and of course, found the one study abroad booth.  And suddenly, remembered who I am.

I am a traveler.  And once I see something I want, nothing gets in my way.  Not even a bank account with next to nothing and only four months to make thousands of dollars.

So I started planning.  Each semester my tuition increased a little more, and each semester going to school abroad felt a little further, though I was making progress with an exceptional advisor and support system around me.

Then one day, I was buying my plane ticket.  The next I was booking trips to Rome, Florence, Scotland, Paris, London, Cambridge, and Oxford.  And suddenly, it has begun to feel in my grasp.

It finally feels real.  Two years of planning down, four weeks to go.  

I have a feeling this is only the start of my adventures.

With love,

Mattie