Maureen Greenaway, Guest Services Supervisor at HI Boston

HI Boston

Maureen is known to many guests and staff alike at the Boston Hostel to be the person who never stops smiling.  Whether it’s raining outside or there’s a huge line at the Front Desk, Maureen has always maintained an incredibly cheery attitude with everyone.  She started as a Guest Services Associate 4 years ago, and has been a Front Desk Supervisor for over a year now.  She is constantly mentioned in guest comment cards for her friendliness and welcoming nature when they arrive to the hostel.

For Maureen, peace means a variety of things.  First and foremost, it means diversity, unity, and equality.  And given the hostel experience, she points out that peace is also about sharing with people a common bond to reach a mutual goal: which is that everyone will live at peace with each other, living and growing together.  

With Maureen’s constant interactions with people from all over the world, she pointed out that traveling really is all about diversity.  While traveling you naturally learn about the different nations and how their way of life can be so different from your own.  Maureen has grown to appreciate many of the benefits of living in America and how there are more freedoms here than other places.  Of course too, Maureen likes people and the customer service side of meeting new faces.  As she noted “I get along with most people, and usually don’t have issues with anyone. I really do like meeting people from all over the world, and there’s always something to gain knowledge-wise from different hostels.”

Norvell Watts,  Volunteer at HI Boston

HI Boston

Norvell Watts has been volunteering at the Boston Hostel for nearly a year, and has enjoyed the experience of taking people on nightlife events like pub crawls and the hostel’s midweek mixer.  He is currently a Residence Director at Curry College, and enjoys interacting with the international community.

For Norvell, peace is really about community and setting up an environment where all of us recognize differences and take pride in those.  He sees the hostel as a hub for a lot of people that are coming through Boston, providing that place where people don’t have to make assumptions of each other.  It’s an environment where people are sort of living together and have to get along as a result.

Chris Comers, Community Partner at Bummer City Historical Society

HI Boston

Chris works for the Bummer City Historical Society and has been working with the Boston Hostel for nearly a year now hosting their inclusive open mics in the hostel’s community room.  On this particular evening, Chris was running a special event for the hostel’s Sleep for Peace festivities entitled “Inclusivity and Safe Spaces: A Panel Discussion, Q&A, and Mini-Show.”  Chris enjoys the open mics hosted at the hostel and has been excited about this particular panel, which featured live poetry and music as well.    

Chris and the entire Bummer City Historical Society love the hostel environment, and they get a lot of people that are staying at the hostel looking for unique activities to participate in.  For him, it’s cool to have Bummer City having these kind of arts-based events spread beyond Boston when international travelers bring the experience back to their home countries.

When asked what peace meant to him, Chris noted that peace is an ideal, and probably an end-goal for what all of us do.  He noted that all of us try to foster peace between our friends, between countries.  Like hostels, it’s the goal for everyone to be in a safe, happy, and creative environment.

Rowena Crisostomo, Guest at HI Boston

HI Boston

Rowena, or “Ro” as she prefers to be called, stayed at the Boston Hostel for a total of three nights as a solo traveler after traveling in Maine with some friends.  Living in Los Angeles, she hadn’t considered the possibility of staying in hostels in the United States until her stay in HI Boston.

For Ro, being at peace is really about being happy, and having people get along with each other.  Peace to her means that everyone is on the same page and not fighting, but respecting each other.

As a solo traveler, Ro tries to be as carefree as possible—and really aims to go with the flow.  She always stands by the mantra of not being negative and trying  to embrace new experiences that naturally lead to fun.  Along the way, she sees what the city and what the town has to offer as she explores.  Most importantly, Ro enjoys traveling by foot and getting lost.  As she put it: “I like being a free bird!”  When she’s away from work and on the road, she’s an entirely different person and her carefully organized schedules go out the window.

As a first time hosteller in the US, she’s loved the Boston Hostel since she’s been able to meet so many people.  She attended a ton of events and was pumped that they’re free and affordable.  Most importantly, it’s only whetted her desire to travel more: she met two new friends from France and hopes one day to visit them.  Like so many hostellers, Ro loves the people she meets and that’s why she hopes to stay at more hostels.

A place Brittany had always wanted to sneak into to, we finally decided to just walk past the front desk to get a glimpse into the life of a hopeful traveller. Being more luxurious than any hostel either of us had visited, the hallways were filled with common room activity and inspiring quotes. 

I find hostels to be so inspiring because the people who are always in and out of there are often times using these places as a stop along a very eventful and winding road of their lives. They don't choose to settle down in one location, but rather take advantage of the world we live in and see what it gives back.

- Brittany