Riding the Subway

Riding the subway was much less terrifying than I originally expected. I was worried about getting horribly lost, getting stuck on the train because it was so crowded, or being surrounded by crazies. No worries friends, I survived.

My first fear of getting lost was very quickly dissolved. Most of the subway trains had a map on the inside and quite a few of the newer ones had an electronic dealio that said which way the train was headed, where it was, and what all the stops were. Also, if I was ever too lost I could always jump off the train and check the extremely intricate map they have at every station. And to be fair, the subway system was relatively easy to understand. Once I pulled out a map and figured out what transfers to make, it was simply a matter of working around the crazy construction and unexpectedly shut down trains. I only went the wrong way once, and that was because I forgot my final destination, not because I messed up the trains. Silly me.

My second fear was also rather unfounded. The subway trains were really only very crowded on Sunday and in the middle of the afternoons. When I first arrived in New York it was around 6:00 in the morning. There was no one on any of the subways.

I was able to get a seat for most of my trips from Brooklyn into Manhattan. The times that it was crowded were, admittedly, awfully cramped, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as expected. It's easy not to care when everybody else is quietly resigned to having no personal space. If you were invading someone poor unsuspecting stranger's bubble, you just looked the other way and didn't say anything. Surprisingly less awkward than you would think, and much less awkward than it sounds. At least it was for me. Maybe I'm just weird.

My other major fear was the crazies. There were really only two that I encountered and I found my ipod to be the perfect deterrent. "Oh, you wanna tell me about the rapture? Ya, I heard it's been postponed until October." *insert earphones here* *crazy realizes you won't listen and walks away* Victory! One of the crazies was walking around with no shoes on and seemed drunk at first. After riding with him for about 20 minutes I think our whole car realized that he was legitimately crazy. It was humorous, scary, sad, and just plain depressing at the same time.

All in all I found the subway to be a relatively pleasant experience. I don't care for the smell or the extreme heat at the stations, but the idea itself is pretty sound. I find myself considering riding Trax to school instead of driving everyday. It was kind of nice to just sit and listen to my ipod, or read, while someone else got me to where I needed to be. And I got to watch a lot of really interesting people and listen to a lot of free live music.

And let's not forget the random subway art.....

Excuse me.....Mr. Crocodile? That's my friend Mr. Moneybag Head you're currently chewing on. Please stop. And take off that jacket. Weirdo.

Staying in a Hostel

Telling people that I was staying in a hostel usually invoked the same reaction. 'You're staying in a hostel?! Scary!' Everytime I heard that I had a quick giggle to myself. I actually did quite a bit of research about hostels in general, and especially the one I was staying in.

As I said in my previous post, hostels are mostly for extreme hipsters or foreigners. Of the girls in my room, I think two of the nine of us were American. It was a little strange, and chances are I won't stay in one in America again, but it was kind of fun.

I chose the New York Loft Hostel

I chose this hostel partly because of location and partly because of the reviews. It seemed clean, popular, and fun, and it was right next to a subway entrance. It was actually pretty convenient, despite the fact that it was way in Brooklyn, about 40 minutes from where I needed to be.

When I first got off the subway stop and walked outside into the middle of Brooklyn at 6:00 AM, I started getting concerned. It was in a rather....unsafe looking part of town. I decided to make my way to the hostel, and if I felt bad about it still, I would find somewhere else to stay. Upon arriving at the hostel, I felt quite a bit better. You needed a key card to get into the building after hours, and they let me do a little bit of exploring before I checked in. I didn't actually explore much, but seeing the detail and amenities they had, I was feeling pretty ok.

I decided to stick it out and see what it was like later at night. The hostel was close enough to the subway that I figured it would be ok.

Turns out, walking around at night was a lot safer than walking around during the day! When I got off the subway around 10:00 PM, the streets were crowded with people my age. They were everywhere. Literally. It was great. I decided to stay, and I'm glad that I did.

The inside of my actual room was quite a bit different from the pictures they have online. I was expecting wood floors and bunk beds, but it ended up being more hospital dormitory style. Which was actually just fine with me. The floors were just cement, but the beds were clean and the cleaning staff came by every day. Also, I ended up being in a room with 8 other girls instead of 12.

The only part of the hostel that I really didn't enjoy was the fact that the other girls in my room practically ignored me. And it was super awkward. The last night I was there a girl showed up who immediately befriended me. We went out for pizza and it was quite an experience. I told her how awkward the other girls were and she didn't believe me. She tried to talk to them when we went back. They didn't engage. She was in disbelief and I just laughed. So I guess on the good side the total disregard of your bunkmates is uncommon. Crazy introverted girls staying in hostels? Not the norm.

All in all, I quite enjoyed the experience. Like I said, I probably won't stay in another hostel in America, but if and when I travel internationally, I think it will be a great option.

The reasons for staying in a hostel?

1-They cost less. Quite a bit less.

2-They create a great opportunity to network with other like-minded travelers.

3-They're generally clean and require little hassle.

4-They're designed for quick, easy travel.

5-You can often stay in them longer than a regular hotel if necessary.

And if nothing else, it's an interesting experience. Even for those of us who have lived with roomates, this is something entirely new.

Would you ever consider staying in a hostel? If yes, where would you travel? If no, what is the biggest deterrent?

Traveling Alone

This week I went on my first vacation on my own. I've visited so many places, but each time I've gone it has been with a tour group or with my family. Traveling alone was a whole new experience.

The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was making sure that I was on top of everything. My grandma, the queen of travel, wasn't there to make up an itinerary. My parents weren't there to pay for my hotel and take care of messed up reservations. My friends weren't there to be my comfort zone when I didn't feel like being outgoing. It was forced independence. And it was awesome.

Admittedly my sister was vacationing in New York during the same week I was there, but for the most part I was on my own. It was the first flight I took by myself, my first time riding the subway, alone or not, and the longest I've spent out of the company of people I know in my entire life. It was crazy, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity.

What I've learned

1-The people staying in hostels are usually hardcore hipsters or foreign travelers. They will either ignore you completely or become your best friend immediately. Both are fine. The ones who ignore you are lame and the ones who befriend you can be great connections in the future.

2-Don't look at people on the subway. They look back. Then it gets....awkward.

3-A smile can go a looooong way.

4-Don't be afraid to ask for directions. It's only inconvienencing people if you stop those who are obviously in a hurry or purposely closed off. For most people, rather than being an annoyance, it gives them a simple way to feel like they contributed during the day. Most people will feel better after helping you.

5-The subway really isn't that confusing. Read the map. Duh.

6-Even if you have no idea of what you're supposed to be doing, fake it. Chances are, someone else is more confused than you are and they may even come to you to ask a question. Then you'll have an automatic friend!

7-Be approachable. Sometimes even sales people are entertaining to talk to. If you're really not up to it, then look like you're thinking really hard and don't make eye contact. It's pretty simple.

8-Don't let your natural inner shy person win! When you have the thought that you might as well just stay in, that you won't be missing anything, you're wrong! Get out there and DO stuff! Meet people. Participate. Live.

What are your thoughts about traveling alone? What obstacles have you had to overcome? What is your favorite part?