Volunteering in Czech Republic – Mornings at the Hostel

Posted by: Janita V.

Volunteering at the Prague Hostel Internship was a very memorable experience. The one thing I regret is only singing up for a month because that month felt like a long summer camp of heaven. I stayed in a girls dormitory, working with the same people and in the same place every day. Alone time was very rare in this lively hostel, but at least you were never lonely either.

There were 3 volunteers in the hostel including me, and we worked in the morning or in the evening. I was working only in the mornings, and my daily routine looked like this:

7:45 Wake up, brush your teeth and get ready for the day (I wish I could always wake up 15 minutes before work).
7:59 Slowly crawl one floor down to the breakfast hall (I wish I could always commute only 30 seconds to work).

8:00-10:00 On quiet days, you can have a long relaxing breakfast and chat with other workers and hardly work at all, or on busy days, hurriedly make more coffee, bring more nutella, yogurt and milk, clean the dishes etc. On those mornings the adrenaline wakes you up quickly. Even though I am not a morning person, breakfast was my favorite part of the job.

10:00-11:00 Breakfast is over, so wash rest of the dishes, hide food to the kitchen, clean tables and floors. After that, go get the list of people checking out of the hostel (this is the most exciting moment of the day, because you’ll know whether you’ll be done by midday or 4pm. In average, beds are done by 2pm) and take enough sheets with you.

11:00—> Listen to catchy music, sing along and make beds. Find forgotten mystery coins in different currencies, try not to wake up naked, sleeping people (or sometimes wake them up on purpose, if they have forgot to check-out), and open the windows to get fresh air to the rooms. When everything is done, you should be free the rest of the day!

Most volunteers get a chance to do evening shifts (from 6pm to midnight) as well, which is bar tending in the hostel bar. It’s a great place to meet travelers and make new friends.