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 One of us was going to break down – it was either my keyboard or myself. I pounded and pounded on the keys, but the computer beeped instead, laughing in defiance. I had reached my breaking point.
It was one of those weeks. The ones when you have more to do than time allows. I had too much on my plate, and I was about to give my keyboard a crack over my knee when a pop-up ad caught my attention.
“Cheap Tickets,” it flashed.
I decided to give it a click with the mouse, which doesn't let me down like the keyboard does. Instantly, I was asked where I was leaving from and going to, when I was departing and would return, and how I would travel: Round-trip? One way? I clicked away: San Francisco , Seattle , London . The idea of an escape excited me.
Until I saw the price.
“Cheap Tickets” was not as cheap as I had hoped. I was about to click out of the pop-up ad when suddenly I spied my mistake.
The last entry was wrong. It was backward. Instead of requesting a plane ticket from Chicago to London , I requested the opposite. From London to Chicago .
The error didn't seem like that big a deal, but it got me thinking: People from London and all over the world travel to Chicago , so why can't I? Yes, I know: How can you travel to a place when you already live there?
I have done it once before. I could do it again.
During college, I studied abroad in Rome for a semester. My goal was to travel somewhere new every weekend. However, one weekend my plans for a trip to Sicily fell through. I was devastated. I felt I had missed an opportunity and wasted a weekend. Luckily, my travel companion knocked some sense into me, suggesting we explore Rome instead. How silly of me, I thought. One of the most beautiful cities in the world was right out my door, and I had not even seen it. I gave it a shot, and it was one of the best weekends of my semester. |
Reflecting upon that Roman moment motivated me to explore Chicago . I have lived here most of my adult life and there are still many things I have yet to uncover. I wanted to stay away from the tourist route, the buildings, the fountains, and the museums. Rather, I wanted to escape keyboard and explore like a traveler. Where would I begin?
I would do what I did in Rome : Go to a hostel.
Hostels are different from hotels and motels . Hostels have the cheap, open rooms with a bunk beds and lockers and a community kitchen. Some of my more memorable travel experiences were had at hostels.
Like the time in Austria, when two portly Germans stuffing their faces with biscuits and liverwurst would not leave me alone once they found out I was from Chicago. Their favorite show was, as they put it, “The Al Bundy Show.” They could not stop spitting while laughing while retelling episode after episode as if I remembered or cared.
Then there was the time in Ireland , when I had the pleasure of bunking next to two travelers engaging in, how do you say, “hostel love.” The squeaking of the bed and the fuss about a broken condom kept me up all night.
Hostels are different from the norm, and so are its people. But they're also places to find hardcore travelers; not tourists, but explorers, who wanted to escape their burdensome lives.
My first stop was at Hostelling International-Chicago on Wabash and Congress, the second largest hostel in the nation. I pushed through the revolving door, passed the security desk and took the elevator up to the second floor. There I met Thomas Applegate, executive director for the hostel, and he showed me around the five-floor, 500 bed mega-hostel. |
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| comments: traveling chicago |
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subject: Finding
date: 03.02.2004
name: Joe
comment:
strange that you find yourself in a place most americans go to run away from themselves? |
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subject: Where am I?
date: 03.02.2004
name: Elizabeth
comment:
I'm traveling in a few weeks. Alone. It's something terrifying and exihilirating. I don't completely know my reasons, or my itinerary, but I don't believe that is entirely important. |
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subject: 1,000
date: 03.02.2004
name: Carl
comment:
Weird how you go thousands of miles and discover something about yourself when in actuality it's something that's always with you. |
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subject: love, your mother
date: 03.05.2004
name: B.T.D.T.
comment:
I wanted to read this and hate it. by the end, my condescending eyes were admittedy smitten with the piece. godd job stevo |
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subject: Connections
date: 03.05.2004
name: Katie
comment:
I loved this Steve! Especially when you spoke about connections with history and people. I think that is a really important aspect of travel that is often ignored. |
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subject: Amazing
date: 03.07.2004
name: G. & G
comment:
Steve, you never cease to amaze us. You always find everything so positive in all that you do. Thanks for sharing. |
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subject: Impressive
date: 03.08.2004
name: Mike N
comment:
Very impressive my friend. Didn't actually expect anything too special...but fortunately you didn't dissapoint. It was quite the witty piece. |
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subject: wow
date: 03.08.2004
name: charlie
comment:
kool story |
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subject: Mr.A
date: 03.16.2004
name: $HARPER+HIZEL$
comment:
Dude Mr.A!!!
We didn't read the article at all but escape *excites* me too! You need to find something better to write about,... you TOOL! !Peace out! |
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subject: NICE!!
date: 03.17.2004
name: WARZEEEECHA
comment:
WOW.....THAT WAS GREAT ARTICLE, I NEVER KNEW WE HAD HOSTELS IN CHICAGO TILL NOW |
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subject: I read it all!
date: 03.18.2004
name: Phil
comment:
I read the whole article. Very nice. Though I don't travel to find myself (yet) I do try to get out of the house to learn about myself. Getting out with friends, listening to music, driving anywhere, creating memories, gaining experience; that's why I get out. To make me. |
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subject: what the?
date: 03.25.2004
name: Yowza
comment:
What's the point of this magazine? |
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