Part of the fun of living at a hostel is in meeting all sorts of people with a variety of backgrounds and stories to tell. And it’s amazing to learn of their personal journeys. We as travelers are not as alone as we may believe at times. 

-names have been changed to protect identities-

Joe is about 40 years old and from England. He led an entire life doing exactly what you’re supposed to do. He went to school, had a great job, owned a nice house, and invested wisely. Trouble is, he hated his job, had no love for his house, and was so uninspired by his life that he couldn’t even bring himself to spend his hard-earned money on anything that might make him happier. He fell into a life of getting up, going to work, coming home, and watching the tube until he could go to bed and repeat the same routine the following day.

After some deliberation, he saw no reason to continue on this road, as it was only further pushing him into a state of apathy and downright depression. So the house was sold, the job quit, and an eight-month vacation embarked upon.

I met Joe at the 6 month mark of his vacation. He had been pretty much around the world, and was on his way back to the Philippines, where he found he was truly happy. I asked him if he has to return to England after his eight-months are up. Not only was the answer “no”, but he was actually thinking about buying a small place in the Philippines to run as a hostel. He loved the true hospitality and friendliness of the locals, knew other ex-pats who were operating hostels, and had a sparkle in his eye when he spoke of it.

I saw him off on his way back there, and I hope to visit his establishment soon.

Kudos, Joe.

Suzanne is from Australia, and like so many Australian travelers I’ve met, she has a taste and knack for adventure. After finishing school, there was no way she was going to rope herself into a career right away without seeing what the world has to offer. So round-the-world she is traveling, on what is becoming widely known as a “gap year”.

Through courageous solo hostel travel, she has made fast friends with many people, which is paving the way to stay in their homes when she travels through their neck of the woods. She is cheerful, bright, and seems to be searching for something….and not quite sure what it is yet. (I guess all travelers are searching for something, aren’t they?!)

Her life is exciting, because she is open-minded to whatever gets thrown her way. With her education and career path she could live almost anywhere in the world, and is open to just such an opportunity.

I can’t wait to see where she lands. I know it will be on her feet. Just don’t know where yet.

Kudos, Suzanne.

Walter is a fellow Canadian embarking on his 50’s. You wouldn’t know it to talk to him though; he is young at heart, and can meld beautifully into a dorm full of 20-somethings without blinking an eye. But there’s something that just isn’t clicking in his life.

He has a treasure chest of experience and skills behind him, and is traveling in search of big changes. What those changes look like are still unknown to him, but he is daily actively opening his mind to the possibilities. He is inspired by our life and is standing at the edge of the chasm of selling everything and taking the plunge into sustainable travel, just dipping a toe in the water right now to get a feel for the temperature.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he returned home to sell his house and wrap up his affairs so he can chase down a dream that both excites and scares the hell out of him. He feels more alive now than he ever has.

Kudos, Walter.

And I know some people who just don’t get it. They think they do, but they don’t. All I get from these people are words of judgment and encouragement to do what they thinkwe should do. 

...read the rest of this story about the Journey Through Life's Changes here...