Hostel life, is it worth it?

When you’re a seasonaire in New Zealand you’ll more than likely start off staying in a hostel, especially if you’re doing an instructor-training program or you haven’t been to Queenstown before. Even if you're not living in a hostel, staff accommodation and affordable houses usually mean sharing a room with at least one other in a house with lots of people.

I had the privilege of living at Pinewood hostel, a short walk from the center of town as part of my training program package. It's in a great location, great living space, a double bed in my room with a bunk-bed that would soon be occupied by one other. Things looked great!

The trouble with seasonaire life is that at the start you have little control over who you’re going to live with. All females, all males, tidy, messy, uptight, relaxed, you just have to go with it and make the best of a potentially difficult living environment.

BE RESPECTFUL, BE CLEAN, BE QUIET, BE SOCIAL!

When you're more than 6 under one roof, things can get pretty dirty and messy, especially communal areas. Don’t wait till the fungus starts to grow. Make a roster. Keep to it. The same goes for your chalet or staff kitchen and its fridge. Exact a forfeit from the slackers…

Just because you spend every morning cleaning up after your guests it doesn’t mean you can’t take your work home with you. Epidemics of Skier’s Tummy have ruined many a holiday and a proven cause is lack of hygiene among resort workers, don let it be you!

Hungover, no sleep, hungry, penniless seasonaires don't half know how to quarrel with one another and its usually about the washing up. Some resort to passive aggressive post-it notes or pictures in the what's app group, others call mandatory house meetings at stupid hours, and eventually everyone bar 1 or two clean pushovers give up and let the place go to ruin. This is not a nice environment or atmosphere to live in. If you wouldn't do it in front of your parents, then don't do it when living with your friends! Clean your dishes, tidy away your things and do your bit to actually clean the house.

Sometimes on a season you might be living with people you don't know and need really meet because their work schedule is the opposite to yours. Make the effort to be kind when you do see them, make them feel welcome, leave them nice notes. Their season probably isn't going to plan if they aren't awake normal hours of the day and probably need more support than you do.

Doing a ski season means meeting people from all over the world, people from different religions, political back grounds, cultures and customs can sometimes clash. Be respectful and take the time to learn about your housemates and colleagues, you might just surprise yourself.

If you don't like someone, don't tell the whole house/staffroom about it. Keep it to yourself and just keep your distance and be kind. People change A LOT on seasons and the start is always the hardest. It's really easy to get sucked in to other peoples opinions of others around you, be sure to make your own mind up from your own encounters with this person, rumours are rife in ski resorts, so you can't always trust other peoples opinions. I have personally missed out on great friendships with people on past seasons because housemates of mine have not liked the person and once I finally plucked up the courage to spend time with them, my housemates were so so wrong.

Is it all worth it then?

Absobloodylutely! Do your best to live in a smaller house, make friends with people in a bigger house and encourage parties at theirs so the mess stays out of your house. make some ground rules at the start with your roommate and housemate and do your part! You'll have friends you'll still be talking to five years later and its all because you got through your seasons hard times together!

The Ski Nomad