Hostel

   They say, “Hostel life is hard.” And they’re right. There are many nights I miss my family, the laughter spilling in a full parlor, the comforting noise of home.

Hostel life has its ups and downs. But when I say it’s one of my safe places, I mean it. Not because of the studies, the struggles, or the problems, but because of my friends, my people, my sanctuary. They awaken parts of me I never knew existed. We laugh at the smallest things, share noodles, create noise that fills the corridors, and sometimes dash around the hostel just for the thrill of it. These moments, far from being cringe, are etched in my memory.

What I love most is how we protect each other, love each other, and feel completely comfortable in one another’s presence. That is what makes hostel life, in all its chaos, feel like home.