The Pros & Cons of Staying in a Hostel

During my solo travels, I often stayed at hostels instead of hotels. Before staying at my first hostel, I had heard a lot of negative rumors about them, primarily that they were unsafe and dirty. However, after seeing firsthand what it is like to stay in a hostel, I think that they are a good option, IF you take several factors into consideration. So, based on my experiences, here are the pros and cons of staying in a hostel.

PROS:

1.  Most of them are cheaper than staying in hotels.
• Each hostel has many price ranges depending on the type of room you choose. If you stay in a room with several people, it will be less expensive than if you choose to stay in a private room. Still, even the private rooms will likely be less expensive than most hotels.
2.  It is easy to meet new people.
• This is especially true if you are traveling alone. When I stayed in a hostel in Bruges, Belgium, I met three other people that were staying in the same hostel as me. We ended up spending a few hours walking around the city together and I made three new friends from South Africa and Spain! 
• In addition, there are several hostels that are designated as "party hostels" if you are looking for a more social scene. The hostel I stayed at in Bruges was called St. Christopher's, and there was a bar inside where I met many people from several different countries. (I realize this could also be a con if you are looking for a more quiet vacation. If this is the case, I recommend finding a hostel that is closer to a bed-and-breakfast style).

CONS:

1. You might have to stay in a room with complete strangers. 
• Yes, one of the pros is that hostels are cheaper, but this might mean that you have to stay in bunk-bed style rooms with other travelers. You can either choose to stay in a co-ed room or in an all female / all male room. When I went to London, I opted to pay a bit more to stay in an all-female room, and other than having different sleep schedules, I did not mind having roommates. 
2.  A lot of hostels are located far from the city center. 
• This is definitely something to keep in mind when looking for a hostel. Many of the cheaper options are farther away from the main tourist sites, which presents a safety problem especially if you are by yourself at night. I would recommend paying a little more for a hostel that is walkable from the city center, so you can ~safely~ walk back at night.  
3.  You'll probably have to share a bathroom.
• All of the hostels that I stayed at had communal bathrooms with private showers. This is something that is just part of the experience of staying in a hostel. On the bright side, you'll likely only be staying in the hostel for a few days, and it will make you truly appreciate having your own bathroom back home.

As you can see, the first two cons can be eliminated depending on your budget and room preferences. While I opted for a more expensive room in hostels that were closer to the city center, other friends I know have stayed in rooms with 7 or 8 other people and used an Uber to get back to their hostel at night because it was farther away from the city. They explained that because it was only for a few days and they were with other people, it just added to the adventure of their trips. As long as you are safe and comfortable with the social aspect that is inevitable when staying in a hostel, I would say that the pros outweigh the cons and you will definitely come back with more stories to tell than if you were staying in a hotel!

L'Atelier des Lumières: Van Gogh Starry Night Exhibit

Recently, I wrote about my experience visiting the Louvre museum. After writing my review on a more well-known museum, I thought I would take the time to review a slightly less well-known museum that I recently visited.

Located in Paris, the Van Gogh Starry Night exhibit at the L'Atelier des Lumières offers an experience that is a lot different than the typical art museum. Before I went to this exhibit, the only thing that I knew about it was that it was a light show featuring Van Gogh's paintings. As a fan of Van Gogh and out-of-the-ordinary experiences, I decided to give it a go.

Tickets are 14,50€ for adults or 11,50€ for students. Just like for the Louvre, I recommend buying your tickets online before you visit so you are guaranteed an entry and you do not have to wait in line at the museum.  

The exhibit itself is one large room with columns and walls in the middle. Unlike ordinary art museums, visitors do not walk around looking at each individual painting. Instead, visitors are presented with a multi-sensory show. Images from Van Gogh's most popular works including The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, Starry Night, and Bedroom at Arles are projected onto the walls, ceiling, and floor and are animated to music. 

When I arrived, I was confused as to what I was supposed to do: was I supposed to walk around the whole room during the show, or simply sit in one place and watch? I came to the conclusion that there was no right way to go about this exhibit. I ended up exploring the space and then finding a seat to sit and watch Van Gogh's art come to life in the room. 

There are three shows in total that each run around 10 minutes on a loop, so if you miss one of them you don't have to wait long to see it again. There are also other artists represented including famous Japanese artist Hokusai.

My favorite part about this exhibit was watching all of the children interact with the art. When Hokusai's painting Wave came to life and the fish were jumping out of the water, the kids watching would run up to the wall to try to grab the fish and run along the floor to follow their path as they swam.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Van Gogh Starry Night exhibit because it presented art in a unique way by giving movement to typically stationary art and it was truly engaging for all ages. 

The exhibition runs through December 2019. However, the museum space has rotating exhibits so whatever artist is represented next will surely be a memorable experience as well.

Is Studying Abroad Even Worth It?

There are many opinions on whether studying abroad is worth the stress and money. I'm here to tell you that if you have the opportunity to study in another country for a semester, or even for a few weeks, you should definitely do it.

But why should you leave the comforts of your home and all of your best friends to study in a foreign place with strangers?

For me, the answer to this question in my first couple of weeks in France was you shouldn't. Obviously my opinion on this has changed... it just took a little while to adjust to my new home and shift to a more positive outlook.

Mainly, studying abroad opened up my view on the world. There were a lot of French and American students in my classes, but there were also many other students from all over the world. Out of the 20 people in my French class, I was one of only two Americans, which really made me realize how unique it was to have the opportunity to meet and have discussions with people from countries like Australia, Estonia, China, and Russia. I can say now that after living in France, I definitely have a better understanding of what is going on outside of my little bubble of the U.S.

In addition, it was amazing to be able to be immersed in a different culture for five months. Even though France is not entirely different from the United States, being there for such an extended period of time made me appreciate the small intricacies that define a country. In France, I got used to seeing locals carrying four or five baguettes in a backpack in the morning, and walking on the cobblestone streets to the boulangerie everyday.

Most of all, though, studying abroad makes you grow as a person. In my case, before this, I thought that there was a certain stigma attached to traveling alone, and I felt that it would be boring to travel somewhere by myself. However, when I wanted to travel to Belgium for a weekend because my favorite artist was playing but all of my new friends were busy, I ended up going there alone. This turned out to be one of my favorite weekends and I loved the time that I got to spend by myself—exploring the country and doing whatever I wanted to do. Also, because my family was so far away and there was a six hour time difference, I became more independent because I had to solve my problems by myself, such as my making my travel plans and finding a doctor who speaks English when I got the flu.

This is not to say that there aren't any reasons why you shouldn't study abroad, because it definitely has its cons. For one, you won't get to see or talk to your family nearly as often as you'd like to. Also, you'll find that there are small things about home that you didn't even think you would miss. It could be as simple as the little familiarities you see during your walk around campus, like the dining hall with the food that is just "ok," and smiling politely as you pass by the guy you vaguely remember sitting behind you in your freshman year English class.

However, if you go into your semester abroad knowing that you will have bad days where you will miss the comforts of home, but still remembering everything you're gaining from this unique experience, I promise it will be worth it.