Tales from the hostel

[osprey_archer]

Yesterday morning everyone moved out of my room at the hostel; by evening, a new set of people had moved in, and we all went out to dinner.

Two Australian sisters, one just off an imploded romance with a Swiss backpacker. An American girl who had just studied abroad in Sevilla (which she loved) and at the Cordon Bleu Paris (which she despised; everyone either hates or loves Paris). And a lonely, well-travelled Ph.D student who I think thought the rest of us just too too cute, - tourists, and not real travelers.

That may be why she's lonely: that flickering condescension. But it flickered only occasionally. She was mostly effusively warm, I'm-so-glad-we-met-you-all-seem-awesome - the sort of thing people say freshman year in college, when they're desperately trying to patch a group of friends together - and possessed of a desire to share, alternating with the need to avoid sharing.

"Everyone travels to escape something," she commented, and then drew back and asked the older Australian sister, "What's your story?" (And thus we learned of the doomed romance with the Swiss backpacker.)

I think she's terribly unhappy.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Poor thing... it sounds as if she needs to be asked her story--but in a situation in which she feels comfortable enough to share it. Unfortunately, it also sounds like she has a hard time reaching that level of comfort.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I think so too, to all of this. That's probably why she's traveling - she's searching for the right person to tell her story.

true

[andreochka.livejournal.com]

"Everyone travels to escape something" has made my day! Thanks for sharing these tales from the hostel :)

Re: true

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

[bogwitch64.livejournal.com]

You are a wise old soul, my dear, with a youth's enthusiasm and open mind. The perfrect being, methinks!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

*bows* I like to think so! But it comes and goes.