Reasons Why I like Hostels

Okay, so after six days and four hostels, I feel like I am qualified to write this post. Lord knows that it will later be followed by a "Why I LOATHE Hostels" post after travel has "opened my mind" (which I think we can all agree is a nice way of saying how travel makes you "bitter and homesick"). But for now, I am living "La Vie en Rose":
1. Price- i don't think its actually possible to find cheaper accomadations. And by accomadations, I mean the place must include an indoor bed, plumbing and someone who cleans it on a regular basis. Sleeping under a bush does not count as accomadation in my books (call me a snob...).
2. It hones your navigational skills. When you look up a hostel online, It gives you lovely directions that look like "take train ____ to its last stop, get off, go up the stairs, turn left and walk 100 metres". It sounds incredibly simple. It leaves room for a hell of alot of interpretation. What happens if the station has four exits?? and my left or the left that you take when you're looking at the station?? It says to follow the canal- THE CANAL GOES UNDERGROUND!!!! I am not a mole- I cannot FOLLOW that. Couple that with the fact that very few people seem to know what the streets around where they live are named and you have a whole lotta LOST going on.
3. You meet people! Heather, Beth and I spent a half hour one night getting serenaded by an elderly gentleman who smoked profusely, sang songs from the musical 'Oliver!' and recited John Lennon poetry. It was fantastic! and incredibly enhanced by the large amounts of cider that had been drunk. I also met a Spanish man who worked as a chef in London and toured art museums in his spare time.

the man who sang to us and recited poetry

(called us Lucy, Lisa and Beth)

4. It makes you appreciate the small things- clean laundry, getting six hours of uninterupted sleep, hot showers!!!! I cried a little this morning when I discovered how to get the hot water to work (turn it until the red dot is to the right and then PUMP). Honestly, after two days of not showering, then two days of doing the hokey pokey cold shower (you put your left foot in.... you put your left foot out....) I can positively say that HOT WATER is what it is all about.
5. The fact that there is a little timer controlling your internet time.

I GOTTA GO. HI PARIS!!!

UPDATE: as my lack of internet time made a point of- hostelling makes you really consider how important that tv in your hotel room is- are you really gonna watch it? and the little timer in the bottom corner of the computer screen- do you really need to spend hours internet surfing?

Anyways, I guess I'll add to this list if I think of any more.