Growth Santana

I slept well enough to wake up at 5am and nonchalantly kill time until I could head to a coffee shop. Once there I worked on work (revamping my business communications course book) before it washed over me (on the walk back to the hostel to get ready for the first day of training) — that I am so excited to be here! Yay! I danced it out in my room to the song “Brighter Days.”

During the first part of the first training day, I witnessed my sunniness hold. Our four strong female energies held me (three hostel managers and one manager-of-managers). There was a Zoom meeting that spelled out how Hostelling International USA stands as an “educational nonprofit because travelers access budget-friendly accommodations while “learning experientially”– think bold signage that features conversation starters and reflection prompts,  arranged social activities/outings, putting your social face on while sharing lounging and cooking spaces, responding to a post stay survey that presses you to think more deeply about takeaways, and encourages future adventures by offering some pretty awesome annual scholarships and volunteer opportunities that yield free stays. This all means that lucky young people can travel for free. Pretty cool!! 

I beamed with pride to be a part of what I realized is an effort to increase mutual understanding and greater tolerance through curated stranger relationality. 

Ha. I see this clearly because of my current/recent addiction to networking events; I love the productive challenge of connecting with new people, and I blame it on my educational experience: I spent five years earning a doctorate in a special intersection of English studies that allows me to zero in on a connection; It feels effortless, which is still shocking to me because I was painfully shy as a kid and young adult. I’ve grown to “painless.” Someone I dated to briefly asked me recently if I have any super powers, and I named this skill set. I’m best at bringing groups along; my small team is in good hands.

Back to the training…. I have lots of notes to review… I was overwhelmed by all of the different platforms and forms, the utter lack of a “Manager’s Tasks Checklist,” and a poorly designed document that my dear friend let me complain about for far too long. He said, “He didn’t take in your class, Christina,” and I laughed and agreed as I thanked him for hearing my big-long-heavy sigh expressed as that complaint. 

By the end of the day, I was struck by the amount of responsibility I signed up for. I’m taking care of a 13 room house (!!!), two assistant managers, a parttime housekeeper, and any and all things that come up. Me. I’m the decision-maker… Oh, man. If I don’t  want to reconsider the stack of books I planned to bring, and the writing I planned to get done. I’m gonna need to be firing on all cylinders. And then some. Oh, and I’m teaching classes in both summer sessions. LOL. WTF. Here we go. Taking 30 minutes to rewrite my notes, sign in to all platforms and go to sleep. 9am stop with a 5 am alarm. Anything I don’t do tonight I’ll do when I’m killing time before a cafe opens. Good plan.