Tag: hostel

I knew.

September 29, 2025 By Cassandra Johnson

The weather in Bogota, Colombia was chilly, so I was not particularly sure about enjoying a long time there. Sometimes the weather was even cooler and the nerve I had, on certain days, to also get caught in the rain! I tend to get cold easily.

I was missing the Medellin weather truly, for a beat, but had a strong feeling that Bogota would be more enjoyable for me. How is that? I knew it would not be as pricey as Medellin. I knew I could have more of a casual working life while I was abroad versus my days and nights in Medellin. It would feed my more pressing focus to earn a living and enjoy myself in my spare time. My notion stuck with me.

Tourism, nightlife and ideal weather was ripe in Medellin, in my opinion, nice but seriously distracting from my everyday routine. I was in a similar boat in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Bogota filtered in some sun as well. I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming spaces and the absence of feeling watched or out of place, but due to my good time in other parts of Latin America, I was also not surprised. I was so affirmed by my encounters and surroundings, that this would be my trip 1 of 2 to the capital city.

I started the first trip with some mediocrity. I did not especially care for the hotel I had chosen. To my relief, I had only booked one day and decided to try a nice hostel for the remaining few days. I had flexibility and could stay or leave early. I was considering Cartagena for the next stop or leaving Colombia completely. I did not feel hurried, only limited by which way I wanted to invest my money.

Leaving the Bogota hotel, I thought this would perhaps be one of those times in which the hostel was nicer than the hotel. I was right.

Indeed, I was able to secure a nicer place by checking into a new, spacious hostel. Though a shared space, I opted for one of the all-ladies room leading to a new friendship with a Venezuelan businesswoman.

The hotel had nice amenities and a receptive staff, but the hostel was more conducive to my goals, more aesthetically appealing and the staff and other travelers proved even more receptive. How interesting that staying at the hotel, in this instance would have painted a less pleasant picture of my stay there.

Returning to Bogota about a month later, I specifically wanted to run out my 90-day Visa and I opted to treat myself. I picked the Calendario neighborhood this time and an AirBnB that also served as an upscale local high-rise. The view was amazing, the front desk reminded me of my space in DC and at the time, I felt this was the closest to the experience I would want if I chose to live in Colombia instead of Peru, so it was good to try it out. I don’t know if I would stay there for longer than 3 months. There is warmth there, but maybe I still need more. Searching.

You can stay with me

March 30, 2025 by Cassandra Johnson

Country to country. Now I enter the hostels and hotels expecting to meet travelers from all over the country I am visiting, and from any country.

Everyday life is different now. The funny thing is I am enjoying this but also looking forward to visiting home too. More ironic, I am a resident in name only, for I am officially traveling full time. Though my mission, this objective, has taken many deviations, I am still working to the same point. I want to travel and see a lot of the world as I dreamed about as a young girl while still, (from my latter goals) I want to live abroad for half of the year and back home for the other half. Getting to spend six months hanging out with friends and family is just as exciting as being a digital nomad for another part of the year *touring and hanging out in these places too. In fact, I want them to come with me and visit me often. Chris was part of it too.

My other normal began in 2010/2011 when I participated in Pisco Sin Fronteras and followed up with intermittent travel abroad to several other countries from the US on limited vacations. New normal is not bad in that I can now be away for such an extended period of time, but I am also reminded of the need for options. So I have a lot more work to do and per Doing A Thing, I am getting more done, welcoming a potential additional job while figuring out which climates and features suit me best for work and socializing. While Peru is my first choice, being in Colombia and other trips is informing me more. We will see.  I have a bit more work to do, in order to also spend a lot more time not doing so. 😉

Doing A Thing

January 28, 2025

I am doing a thing, so until I finish or at least I get into the thick of It, I am writing about my recent experiences, but not what I am doing at the very moment. It is a temporary secret.

Cuenca (Ecuador) is absolutely lovely. It is really “tranquilo”, as their Colombian neighbors would say. I have had the benefit of rounding off my trip with a volunteer experience, which speaks directly to my passion. This time it has been a little different, with me volunteering in a hostel, which came right on time and has become an adventure within the adventure: This is different. Previously, I only did grass roots community volunteering abroad and in the US. I have more stories of these times throughout my website.

Normally, I neighborhood and accommodation bop between hostels and hotels (AirBnBs, not so much recently) and I was doing that as well in Cuenca, but as I was trying to figure it all out with my budget, one of the other volunteers suggested I could volunteer at this hostel, so I was happy to use all the skills I have acquired both volunteering and working and employ them in Cuenca, being one of the people who helps others check in, check out and facilitate the services they get while staying in their shared or private rooms.

I also feel a little like I was in a reboot of the sitcoms I enjoyed back in the day because being with the small tightknit group of volunteers that consist of solo and coupled travelers from South America and Europe gave me a chance to feel more at home. Life was now showing me a more panoramic view, from guest (as I started there) to worker and helper, while this also help give me a break. That’s right. The people-pleaser in me even sometimes get caught up in pleasing the establishments I frequent, but now that I was on both sides, this became less a part of me.

Sometimes, I feel into luxury and pampering and consider myself appropriately and other times, I want to make sure I am giving them an easy time (not being a difficult patron). Becoming a volunteer led to me being more relaxed, cooking, using the spaces and taking care of myself while working. The reciprocity may be what delivered me there and perhaps will get me to more normalcy of feeling we are all worth this, including me. My comfort level spiked. My assistance and my comfort came right on time.

Traveling Gratitude

May 31, 2024 by Cassandra Johnson

Since Guadalajara was tepid to cold, I appreciate having Merida before and Oaxaca after, all the much more.

There is the possibility I had situated myself in the wrong Guadalajaran neighborhood in a mismatched hostel. There is the possibility I was there at the wrong time with standoffish co-guests and staff. They seemed friendlier to one another. Fortunately, I had not experienced such a feeling before nor have I experienced similar, following this one, save a few people who don’t click or clash within the transient groups.

There were the intermittent nice people in the city, but the overall feeling of being in the way, while doing what anyone else was doing, seemed to be a running theme. I had to suddenly realize how my usual experience abroad had spoiled me with kindness, warmth, and excitement. Other places were not without awkward or tense times. Those times were just so far from the norm.

Nice encounters could certainly be nice throughout my visit to Guadalajara, but I still missed some typical courtesies, which I extend as well in my interactions. I am glad Oaxaca reiterated my good and even flattering experiences in Mexico and that Peru is cementing my affection and joy of continuing my travels.

Was this Guadalajara or the city-particular reception to me or just a coincidence to the spaces in which I found myself. Maybe? There were moments I even felt like some of the truly kind people looked somewhat concerned or particularly attentive to me.

I acknowledged my excited expectations had finally waned and coupling my accommodations with a final hotel stay gave me some needed reprieve, for I could hibernate for a day, doing what I wanted to do indoors plus the staff was friendly. I picked up my personal city walk a day later. I opted out of the Tlaquepaque and the Tequila train tour to put money towards my next good times. I am open to doing both later.

I was momentarily concerned that my own energy would shift into a single bitterness. I am eternally grateful for Merida, Oaxaca, and Lima currently. (I may revisit Cusco and the Ica region of Peru again soon).

I do not want to judge or accept only one 7-day stay as my final impression of Guadalajara so I will leave this here and enjoy the time I have traveling now, while continuing to be thankful for all I have been able to do, including the tough lessons learned along with the beauty of the places and the pleasant people who continue to dwell there. 

Unofficial

July 31, 2022 by Cassandra Johnson

Lima used to be the layover. Just one night plus a half of an afternoon before living more remotely.

However, this same remote year, the major city eventually turned into the destination for my upcoming birthday and the same departure point for heading back to the US before I was quite ready to head back.

I was relaxed, still partially anxious. The days prior were good, some brilliant, some just not particularly eventful but the day meant for celebration was one of those epic fails I will need to revisit on a future posting date.

For the moment, I was curious to see what I could do in Lima before leaving in a couple of weeks. Apparently, a lot. I had seen a lot elsewhere in Bolivia and other parts of Peru while volunteering, so I was looking forward to what I could do right before leaving South America the first time.

Although I had spent the last couple of weeks hanging out in Lima, I thought a structured tour-guided outing might prove useful. I sometimes like to mix those in with unplanned exploring, site visits, dancing and hanging out so I can get a layered perspective. I saw the designated tour buses leaving from the main square, seemingly daily. I booked a tour for an upcoming day.

Yet, Lima this time was seemingly just meant to be an offshoot of my own design, some of which included hanging out with my unexpected friend Daniel on my last few days, getting to see our friend in the midst of her hospital recovery, Carnival and a bad adventure in Surco (#revisit birthday).

Since I ran into Daniel (who I had met volunteering in Pisco), he distracted me considerably during that official planned tour. I tried to focus but realized I was fortunate to already have had all the tours and trips I had throughout my travels and I was rather more fortunate to have met so many people like him.

I realized we were just too excited about catching up and accidentally leaning in whispering too long between tour explanations. I heard some details before eventually realizing I was just fine with being distracted. From time to time, Iife reminds us to give up control. There is enough time to follow agendas and many many second opportunities.

Since I had coincidentally ran into him at the picturesque word-of-mouth hostel just days ago, his company reminded me of my foundational goals living abroad: lending a hand to community organizations, immersing myself with lovely language and culture and being open to whatever each day may bring.

The setting meant so much more with both local residents and other travelers like him.

Restaurants, grocery stores, the main square, Carnival events (surprisingly the hospital), and everyday apparent history: Lima the first time around was uniquely just what we made it and what it made for us.

I am more than okay with ideal consistent weather and good reasons for being distracted😊