Life at a Hostel

I realize that (although I cannot even count the number of hostels I have stayed in over the years) many of you have never experienced life in a hostel or backpacker's inn. I'll give you a brief introduction and explain a little about my job at one:

There are many different kinds of hostels and each is unique, but they, basically, provide a cheap bed in a dormitory-style room for backpackers and other travellers. The hostel where I work (Hostel of the Sun) is particularly nice, having been ranked Hostelworld's second best hostel in 2006. We provide a kitchen, nice breakfast, free internet, DVDs and international television, plus the staff is very helpful (if I do say so myself!) at helping people plan their stay in the Naples area. It is colorful, lively and fun; we cook pasta once a week for a free meal and take large groups to a famous pizzeria in town. Even if someone is travelling alone, it is easy to meet other travellers and develop instant friendships with people from all over the world! Many hostels, including HOTS, also have relatively inexpensive private rooms for rent.

Since August is the month when almost all of Italy goes on vacation but tourists flood the towns, I am working a lot. I do the night shift, which lasts from 6:30pm to 8:30am (but I get a few hours of sleep between maybe 1am and 6am). I am having a lot of fun with it so far! As I said, you meet people from all over the world and just help them enjoy their time in Naples. I get to explain to them about the city and its top sights and help them organize trips to Capri, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and other tourist destinations around Naples. Luckily, at the moment, I don't have a whole lot I have to do during the day, so I can catch up on sleep a bit at home.

I am not sure how long I will work here, but it is entertaining and helping pay the rent for the moment!