As a fellow traveller, I understand all too well the struggle of living with, and sometimes even just being around, other people in a hostel dorm. I recently checked into a dorm with 5 other people and when I came in at 10 pm, they were already sleeping. I left my stuff, brushed my teeth, and went to bed. In the morning, I woke up at 8:30 and they were still sleeping. Again, I brushed my teeth in the dark and quietly got dressed, then left for the day. When I returned at 10:30 pm they were still sleeping, so I went to bed. The next morning when I woke up at 9, they were still “sleeping” and when I turned my light on by the bed to get my stuff for the day, one of them looked at me as if I was being rude. This got me wondering: am I being rude by making some noise while getting ready for the day, or should they expect absolute peace and quiet in a shared dorm at any hour?
Living in a shared dorm means that you can’t always expect it to be quiet, especially from 8am to 10pm. Personally, I think the people in my dorm are perfect; they’re not so loud that I can’t sleep but they’re not so quiet that I’m constantly worried about making too much noise. I’m sure that many of you have had similar experiences, so I’d love to hear your stories and thoughts.