A typical day in my life working in a hostel

 A typical day in my life working in a hostel

Welcome back to my blog about my summer volunteering in a hostel in the French Alps! Today’s blog post is going to be a typical day in my life working in the hostel.

Before I arrived I had a rough idea of what it was I would be doing, as it clearly stated on the Worldpackers app. However, when I arrived, there were a couple extra jobs they asked me to do. With my volunteering position, I was entitled to 2 days off each week. This meant I could go on day-trips, as well as longer hikes or spend all day in the sun! However this was a typical day when I was working in the hostel:

I woke up at 8am most mornings as breakfast closed at 9 (I did sleep through a few times!), and got my breakfast. This was usually toast and a coffee. Then, before I started work, I would chill in the morning sun on my phone/ searching for things to do in the area.

Then at 11 I would start work for 2 hours. This was making beds, cleaning the rooms, bathrooms, and common areas. My least favourite job was cleaning the showers. The hostel had a Clé Verte sustainability award, therefore the primary cleaning product that was used was vinegar… Which is a very good cleaning alternative as opposed to the products with harsh chemicals. Usually, the 2 hours of work in the morning would fly by, and before I knew it, I would be eating my lunch in the garden with guests, or the other workers in the hostel.

I then had around 5 hours to do what I wanted. This would either consist of a hike around one of the surrounding mountains, or I would go to the local lake and chill there in the sun. One of my favourite hikes was called the Botanical Trail, and the views of the valley were unreal.

The view from the lake was also amazing!↓

Then in the evening, my shift in the kitchen would start. I had to heat up the meal in the oven, set the table, write the menu outside, and serve the meal to the guests. I then had to clean the kitchen and do all the dishes afterwards. I would usually finish around 9:30/10pm. I found that it was quite easy work, and I got the hang of it quite quickly.

As you might be able to tell, my days were usually pretty packed but I had the best time and I wish I could do it all over again!

Katie :)