Brussels - day 1 still

My first afternoon here, I did some wandering, but at this point in the trip, I’m getting tired of looking at maps and always having a destination and feeling like I need to be doing something all the time.  SO – I got a haircut, did some laundry and saw a movie in a theater.  It was called “Ghosts of girlfriends past” here – I don’t know what it’s called at home.  Jennifer Garner and Matthew McCo….. how ever you spell his name.  It was cute, I laughed out loud a few times – it was the escape I needed from the bustle of traveling.  I returned to the hostel wondering what this night would bring, but to my surprise it was a nice evening.  

I met Lauren, a Kiwi, who has also traveled to many different places in the world.  There are three distinct types of Hostel travelers… those who greet each new roommate as they enter the room and make small talk (of which I am not one, but can play the role if necessary), those who travel in groups so they ignore everyone else in the room (also not me), and those who are used to being on their own and respond only when talked to –that’s me – believe it or not.  When I travel alone, I do my best to remain anonymous and just do my thing.  It’s different when I’m with others, but this trip has been about finding my own time in the midst of heavy traveling and seeing as much as possible.  This hostel provided the ability to be as anonymous as one wanted – the beds have a bit of an overhang providing a bit of privacy.  Each bunk has a reading light, there are convenient cubby boxes, also used as stairs so as not to shake the entire bed when going up and down, two sinks in the room and it’s all female.  I’ve learned that you can tell a good hostel the minute you walk in the door.  This place had everything computerized, down to the internet passwords, so I knew that they’d been doing this for a while, and for lots of people at a time.  It was going to be okay.  Lauren, the Kiwi, and I chatted for a while in our room- exchanging stories of traveling, playing a kind of “one-up” game but not in a competitive way.  It was mostly to find out more places I want to visit in the future.  She triggered, for the first time ever, an interest in traveling to Mexico (though not to the spring break type places).  She also collects travel guides, and is a flexible traveler who judges hostels the same way I do – based on directions there from the internet and the amount of plugs available to those in the room.  She was in her bed relaxing for the night at 9 o’clock, like I was looking forward to doing, and wasn’t afraid to go to bed at 10:30 like I had hoped to.  Despite the fact that she had neon pink hair, piercings and tattoos, and looked forward most to Amsterdam for the abundance of weed, we got along pretty well.  She was going to Bruges for the day tomorrow, so there was no worry that we were going to have to spend the day together – I get worried about clingers – I kind of like to do what I want – but she was good company the two evenings and gave me someone to sit with at breakfast.