Additional Benefits

I'm beginning to realize that working in a hostel isn't just about the luxurious accommodations and rubbing elbows with our illustrious clientele. Nay - the real perks are in the stuff that the guests leave behind. Since the entire hostel is occupied by three people not included myself, Steve let me throw away the stuff in the fridge that's been there for so, so long. What did I find? Well, a lot of really gross stuff, like black vegetables. But those were all in bags so I didn't have to touch them. People tend to buy condiments and stuff that you rarely use up even when you have them at home, so of course there are nearly-full jars of mustard and sour cream and barbecue sauce. But also, yay, there were individual cartons of yogurt, a tomato that was okay, an apple, an unopened box of chicken nuggets(!), an entire pumpkin pie(!!), some frozen veggies, a thing of Fanta, and a half carton of eggs. And low-fat lactose-free milk. Woo, Christmas!

In addition to that bonanza, people tend to leave personal belongings as well. This morning, I scored both an umbrella (which I didn't have room to bring with me and which is very useful) and a sleeping bag (not so useful, but I am sure will come in handy one day). Great shakes!