Miss Snowdrop

A wee bit more about all this.
So, we've got the basic introduction out of the way. phew!

As I said before: I live and work in a hostel:

It is a place where (mostly young) people stay while they are traveling. They are traveling for different reasons.
Most of the people are tourists on a budget. They don't mind sharing a room with a bunch of other people, sleeping in a bunk bed and not having a bathroom to themselves, because quite often it means that this is the only way they are able to actually see a country. They don't have the budget for a hotel, so they stay with us.
Others study for a semester or two abroad and the hostel is their first stop on the way to finding a flat.
A lot of the travelers I meet here are on work-and-travel visas. These people are between 18 and early 30s, they often just finished high school or uni or are taking a gap year before settling down and becoming real grown ups. Most of them come from Australia, New Zealand or Canada. A lot of them come and go. They are on the way to the highlands and have a little stop in Edinburgh before that. Others are looking for jobs and a flat and some just stick around for a few months.
And then there are people who are a little bit like work-and-travel people, they just don't travel as much. And I guess I am one of those. We come to a new country and don't leave. A lot of us stay in the hostel for years and years. We live in dorms, like all the other guests, quite often we work for accommodation at the hostel. We know the building inside out and are part of the furniture. I am not sure why that is.

There are good and bad sites to living and working in a hostel.
The cool thing is, that you make new friends all the time and meet people from all over the world. I think in the past couple of years, I've learned a lot about different cultures, politics and local customs, just by listening to people's conversations. People also tell you about the places they come from or they have visited. Often you find someone who has been to the place you are about to go to and they can give you tons of useful information. People cook the most delicious food and you get to try authentic Spanish or Nepalese food. You have the chance to learn new languages. In Edinburgh there are always Spanish people, so even if you don't really care about it you will learn at least a few words. You also learn to appreciate  things you used to take for granted. Like a bathtub or a room to yourself. You become more humble.

But as I said, it can be tough, too. Because with that many people in such a small amount of space, there will be conflict. It can be small stuff like someone putting their suitcase in front of your locker to crazy stuff like two girls liking the same guy. There is always drama.
People are usually young and like to go out or having drinks at the hostel, it often doesn't end well. We all have had to hug the loo and work hungover.
But the two things that can really break you are the noise and the lack of privacy.
I grew up in a village so small, I could tell by the sound of the car engine who was driving down the street. Here at the hostel every one has a different schedule. Since I am working nights, I sleep during the day. Or at least I try. Today I was woken around noon, by one of our guests playing the guitar and singing. And he wouldn't stop. Frustrating, so say the least. Naps are very popular here, because your night is often way to short.
The lack of privacy is inconvenient for different reasons: quite often you just need some time for yourself. You don't want to be available for anyone and do your own thing. Difficult! Especially in  small hostel like the one I live in. We share everything, from cups to colds. You can put your headphones in and ignore everyone, but it only works to an extend.
No privacy is also hard if you want to do private things, like with another person... (or yourself for that matter). Sure you can go to the bathroom, lock yourselves in a shower and be VERY quiet, but how romantic is that. And even if you manage to quiet as mice, someone will see you coming out of the bathroom together aaaaaaand you're busted. The whole group will know within 24 hrs what's going on. There are no secrets...

So where do I fit in?
I have been in this particular hostel for more than 2.5 years but have lived in hostels far longer than that. I started out as someone who wanted to see the world but got stuck. So I see travelers come and go, make new friends and lose them again, knowing that I will see them again. Because one day I am going to make it out of here and visit them all.