Devin | Pacific Beach, San Diego
Why are you sitting on a bunk bed in Pacific Beach, San Diego at 2 p.m. on a Monday?
I’m very sick. I don’t feel well. Fever, sweats, lack of sleep – as well as nosy roommates and a dirty kitchen (laughs)
What were you actually planning to do?
I’m here for a surf trip. I try to surf every day. Sadly that wasn’t the case yesterday and today. I didn’t get a chance to go out on the waves, but hopefully I can get out there tomorrow.
How do you deal with this situation?
It‘ s very depressing. Spending money to lie in a bed that is not mine and not very comfortable, in a very hot, muggy room that does not smell very good either. I share the room with about 9 or 10 Irish girls. As an exception, however, there is a nice German guy below in my bunk bed – with whom I am having a chat. However, you can’t sleep in this room. You can only sleep when everyone is sleeping, which is rare, because there are so many of them. There is a lot of talking, shouting, turning on the lights at night or conversations at 4 a.m., at which times you should not have conversations in a dormitory.
Why did you choose to stay in a dormitory?
It’s a lot cheaper and I like meeting people. It’s much more fun to go to a hostel like this and meet people from all over the world and see all the different views on American things. Also, there is always a party going on at the hostel or you always have people to go out with.
What means being American to you?
I see America as normal and as home. I haven’t seen anything else. Therefore, I don’t have anything to compare it to. Most of the people here in the hostel I talked to have some kind of college degree or are still in college. None of my friends went to college. It’s so expensive. If no one pays for you, you’re in debt your whole life. Here at the hostel, I also hear from a lot of people from Europe, for example, that they don’t have to pay anything to go to the doctor. For me that‘ s not true, I don’t have health insurance, so I’m sitting here in my bed and suffering for two days.
With what opinions of fellow travelers do you agree or disagree?
If you’re not from America, you don’t really have the same views as someone from here. The conversations here were mostly about the major things like gun laws. In my view, most Americans support firearms and it’s a very small part that doesn’t want us to have guns. That’s something that’s hard to agree with as a European who has never had firearms. But other than that, there are very few topics where I disagree with others here. Of course there is a lot of shit going on in this country.
What conversations have inspired you?
I think most of the conversations were rather on the surface. Like asking people what they eat in their country, what kind of beer they drink, or if you can smoke weed there.
What is your motto in life?
Don’t waste your time working too much. I think a lot of people in this country just work their lives away, chasing a paycheck that doesn’t give a shit about them. I’d raver be surfing or snowboarding.
What makes you optimistic about the future?
There are many negative things that can bring you down. But if you can get past the surface, there are a lot of good people out there. When you meet a lot of people from other countries at the hostel, you see that there are a lot of good people. I haven’t met anyone here who’s an evil type of person. Everyone has their problems – some can’t handle alcohol. But overall, they are still good people. I think people are inherently good. It’s just hard to see that when you watch too much news.
What would be a question you would ask someone else?
Why don’t you surf every single day of your life?
Alright, why don’t you surf every single day of your life?
Agh, I’m stuck in this bed – sweating.
