So, it's been radio-silent for a while in Hostel Territory (the blog, not the real thing). That can mainly be attributed to Lauren's departure. *sob* Yes, it's true. Lauren has moved back to the states to pursue an MBA at my alma mater, Wharton. So, while I haven't been blogging, I have been working.

One of the best parts of working at a hostel is the people that you meet. Lauren and I used to joke about starting a NY deli-like pin-up wall with the pictures of famous Somnio guests. The joke being that there are none; famous people can usually afford to not stay in a hostel (even though Somnio is so great and unique, at the end of the day it is still just a hostel). We were psyched last fall when a decorated Olympian graced our halls but when it came down to it, we were too embarrassed to ask him for an autograph upon checkout.

Other quasi-famous guests include this guy who, in full disclosure, is a friend of a friend and is apparently famous in the extreme sports world:
I was mildly terrified to find him rolling his parachute in the hostel hallway one morning.

I don't know if our current guests are famous but last night we had two with very intriguing stories. First, we hosted a Brazilian guy who is a professional sky diver. He just jumped in the World Military Parachuting Championships, competing in formation, accuracy, and style. Pretty cool, huh? Our other super-cool guest is a professional dancer who is in town to catch up with some international dance friends and take some master classes. Today, he just casually dropped the Vegas-bomb, telling me that he used to dance with Celine (that's Mademoiselle Dion, to you.) I'm impressed.

While our guests may not be rich and are only quasi-famous, I'd venture to bet that on any given day, Somnio's guests are way more interesting and world-wise than those of the four star affair across the street. Think I should ask these guys for their autographs? Or maybe Celine's?