Everything You need to know about staying in a hostel

I was so hesitant to write a post about this because I thought everyone had been to a hostel. Little did I know there is such a stigma with them! I mean there is a movie or two that give off a horror story, and I'm sure your parents would cringe if you told them you would live in one for a month. However hostels are not the end of the world they are a great way to travel on a dime and here are some other great things to know when traveling abroad. 

1. I would highly recommend using Hostelworld. It is like yelp for hostels, and you can see everything and anything that is good and bad about the hostel. 

2. On to the real tips: almost 99.9% of the time you will be with younger people. Most of the people are still in college or just out of college. I went to 15 hostels 1 had high schoolers. 1 had someone (who was a doctor) and she was the oldest being 29. 

3. If you want to talk to people there is plenty of opportunity, but if you want to be alone no worries.  People are extremely respectful and friendly.

4. The hostels are actually really clean, but I would also bring shower shoes. 

5. You do share a room with people, but honestly you will only be in the room to sleep (if you do it right) You will also have plenty of your own space.

6. Safety: So I am a gal who is terrified of the dark, and if I see my own shadow I jump. I get scared in my own apartment at least once a week. That being said, I was never scared in a hostel. Ever. Which is extremely surprising. I did make sure not to travel at night, and be careful to only go to dinner a half a mile from where I was staying. Overall, they are pretty safe. 

7. Your stuff: So I went for two months, and brought a carry on. Everything I brought was able to fit in a locker. Which most places supply. I would not bring a crazy camera or laptop though. 

Overall Hostels are a great way to travel if you do not plan on not being in there for a long period. They are low prices, and a great place to crash!