Throughout college, I would always take small vacations with friends. The trips usually entailed a short weekend getaway to parts of Florida; which was what I believed at the time to be the prettiest place in the world. It was during one of these trips that I experienced a hostel for the first time. Up until then, the only knowledge I had about hostels was from what I saw in the 2005 film of the same name. Not the best example! I met many Europeans and solo travelers who were on yearlong getaways across multiple countries. I asked them the same questions that many people nowadays ask of me such as “Do you feel safe?”, or “Why would you travel by yourself?”. I was intrigued by those travelers that I met during that week, and by their stories. A few years later, I returned to that hostel, but this time, by myself. It was during this trip, that I finally and decisively discovered my yet unknown passion.

While staying at this hostel, I met a Belgium woman who I heard speaking and switching from one language to another. I asked her how many languages she spoke, and how old she was. She replied “5” and “22”. I was amazed just at how cavalier she was about how she learned the languages. She said that she casually learned them while studying in each of the countries for a summer, in which time she learned each language. Along with this woman, I met several other Europeans who spoke multiple languages, in a city filled with Spanish speakers. I felt chagrined that I only spoke one language. When I returned from that vacation, I began to teach myself Spanish that same day. Within a few weeks, I obtained a passport, and within 6 months of that, I traveled outside of the country for the first time. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.