Five observations from my first night in a hostel

Beds in a 12-person dorm at Copenhagen Backpackers Hostel.

When I first made my bucket list, I wanted to try some foreign concepts. One of the first ones I thought of was trying a hostel.

No, not those private ones with ensuite bathroowms, which are essentially hotel rooms under a less fancy name, but doing it properly, sharing a room and facilities with a number of other people.

I tried it for the first time last night, here under the glorious sky of Copenhagen which has afforded me plenty of sunshine over the 24 hours I’ve been here for so far.

Before this trip I was slightly apprehensive and had already formulated some ideas in my head of what it would be like to stay in shared accommodation in a foreign city.

But it isn’t until you actually experience something that you can give a complete view of it. But with a night of hostelling at Copenhagen Backpackers Hostel under my belt, I have made some observations about that type of travelling. Needless to say it’s a mixed bag.

It feels a lot safer than I thought it would

One of my biggest reservations about staying in a hostel was the safety of my personal belongings. I’ve brought my laptop with me, as well as my GoPro, digital camera and two iPhones (so I hope no-one in my hostel is reading this and licking their lips whilst doing so).

But so far, so good. The lockers underneath the bottom bunk seem pretty substantial, and I slept with my rucksack full of stuff for added security. I should sleep a little easier tonight.

Hostels are pretty noisy

I am glad that I’m not one of those really light sleepers whereby the slightest noise disrupts their sleep and winds them up simultaneously. If I was, I’d be like a zombie – deprived of even the slightest moment of sleep.

Hostels, especially when you are staying in a room with 11 other people are extremely noisy places to be.

People going in and out of the room, climbing into their beds, alarm clocks and the doorbell are just a few of the things I have heard overnight so far. It doesn’t bother me, but I can understand that it wouldn’t be accepted by everyone.

Despite that, I’m trying not to use the bathroom overnight so I don’t wake anybody up

I go to the toilet a lot, which I would probably attest to having a bladder the size of a pea if I actually knew how big my own bladder actually was.

But last night I woke up twice needing the loo and didn’t bother either time. I eventually fell back to sleep both times, but I honestly didn’t want to clamber out of bed out of fear of making too much noise and waking my dormmates up.

And you’ll be glad to know that I didn’t wet the bed, either.

I still love the top bunk

The top bunk setup!

When I was younger, I had a bunk bed and refused to stay on the bottom. Not that there was really any choice to be made, but the top bunk was always mine. Apparently, it still is.

I was actually pretty pleased to be given the top bunk bed when I arrived at the hostel on Thursday afternoon.

I’m not sure exactly why I was so jubilant, especially when you factor in that I’m 22. But there is something to be said about the aura of the top bunk. Sleeping five feet off the floor just seems so exotic and different.

Road signs are helpful for not falling out of bed

A pretty helpful little trick.

I woke up in the middle of the night right on the edge of the bed. The reason why I was only on the cusp and not sprawled out on the floor below? A road sign.

Carefully wedged in between the frame of the bed and the mattress is this hostel’s version of a safety shelf (if that’s even what they are officially are called), and I am really thankful for its presence.