Reasons to be Cheerful by Vicky Edwards: Expanded horizons
I’m not very good at stepping outside my comfort zone. It’s nothing to do with getting older; I’ve always been a bit of a wuss when it comes to boldly going. Recently, however, I embraced a new experience: I stayed in a hostel.
As a young thing I spent a number of years gallivanting around the UK with theatre companies. This entailed staying in theatrical digs. Often a very hit and miss affair, at least, however, if you had to share a room, you were with another member of the company, so someone known to you. The idea of sharing a room, or worse, a dormitory, with random strangers has never appealed to me. It would be just my luck to get parked next to a sleep talker or an incessant nocturnal farter.
Two years ago I visited Copenhagen. I loved it, but didn’t have nearly enough time to explore as much as I wanted to. Recently, with family and friends, the return trip was made. To keep costs down, my daughter suggested *shudder* a hostel. I started to run for the hills, but she yanked me back with a tantalising proposition: “We can book a room just for our party, Mum.”
Quizzing her further, and making her swear on the dog’s life that I wouldn’t have to sleep next to a stranger, and having scrutinised the website and as many reviews as I could lay my hands on, I cautiously assented.
Well who knew? Steel House Copenhagen is probably the bougiest hostel in the world – I recommend it to visitors of all ages (and there were visitors of all ages staying there – from babies to grandparents). I loved the relaxed vibe, the communal space sharing (outside of sleeping arrangements, natch) and I loved the fact that you could stay in the centre of what is a fairly expensive city for an absolute bargain rate. Stepping out of my comfort zone, albeit with baby steps, definitely paid off.
It can be hard to try something new if, like me, you’re one of life’s play-it-safers, but this little push on my own self-imposed boundaries has emboldened me. And while I’m not about to swim the channel or begin a degree in quantum physics, I am going to try harder to be more adventurous.
And if you’re thinking if visiting Denmark’s capital city, I guarantee that it will cheer your heart. Tivoli Gardens, The Bastard Café (a board game café, this is genuinely its name) and the Little Mermaid were my highlights, but there’s so much to enjoy. Not for nothing do they call it Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen!
Steel House Copenhagen at www.steelhousecopenhagen.com