Traveler Spotlight

I had the pleasure of meeting Hirotaka at the information desk this morning while he was seeking advice on where to eat the best BBQ in Chicago. In my opinion, trying new food is half the fun of traveling, and judging by the conversation we had, I think Hirotaka feels the same way.

Originally from Tokyo, Japan, he spent this past school year as an exchange student in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. After school ended, he decided to spend about two months travelling throughout the United States by Amtrak. Before Chicago, he visited New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, the Grand Canyon, New Orleans, and many more places. That‘s a lot to see in two months!

When asked about Chicago, Hirotaka only had wonderful things to say. He said that he loves the architecture and the vibrant atmosphere of the city. But more than anything, he has really enjoyed the food! His favorite experience so far was eating deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s. According to him, it was the most delicious pizza he has ever eaten! He also had great things to say about the hostel. He has met some great people and had a great time at our “Boom Boom Blues” night.

Good luck with the rest or your travels Hirotaka and I hope you loved the BBQ!

written by intern Maggie Flynn

Resource links:

Chicago Architecture Foundation: CAF offers in-depth architecture tours & hostel guests receive $3 off walking tours. caf.architecture.org

Lou Malnati’s Pizza: http://www.loumalnatis.com/

BBQ, Smoke Daddy: http://www.thesmokedaddy.com/

Traveler Spotlight: Michael

Today during breakfast, I met Michael from one of my personal favorite cities - Melbourne, Australia. He recently graduated from university with a degree in Architecture and plans to later return for his Master’s degree after his travels. Michael is currently on his “big world tour” which includes traveling across the U.S. for three months, Europe for three months, and spending one month in UK with friends from his exchange in high school. So far, Michael has been to Hollywood, San Francisco, Denver, and Chicago and said Chicago has been his favorite city yet. 

Michael told me that he is a huge sports fan and has already attended a Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, and Cubs home opener game yesterday. He told me his favorite experience in Chicago was attending a Blackhawks game because he’s never seen live ice hockey before. He’s also been to the Chicago Art Institute, a blues club, and went on the Chicago Architecture Foundation bus tour. Michael said, “Chicago is pretty awesome. It has a good vibe, the architecture is crazy, and it has lots of sports to watch.”

After Chicago, he plans to visit Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Miami, New Orleans, and Atlanta before jetting off to Europe to meet up with some friends.

Happy travels, Michael!

Interview by: Kim Pitingolo

Traveler Spotlight: Angie

This afternoon I bumped into Angie looking at one of the information boards in the hostel and asked her if she'd like to be interviewed for the Traveler Spotlight today. I'm so glad I bumped into Angie because I really enjoyed getting to know her and her story.

Angie is originally from Colorado but is currently living in Hawaii for her job with a Christian based international volunteer organization called Youth With a Mission. With the organization Angie has traveled to numerous countries including Thailand, Philippines, and South Africa. She recently was at a program in Toronto, Canada and decided to stop in Chicago before heading home to see her family and friends in Colorado for the first time in over two years.

She told me one of the main reasons why she wanted to visit Chicago was to attend a performance at the Joffrey Ballet. She saw their current production "Winter Fire" and was very impressed with the dance skills of the performers. Tonight she has plans to go to Buddy Guy's Legends Blues Club and tomorrow wants to check out the Old Town School of Folk Music in one of the neighborhoods of Chicago.

Angie also explained that she's stayed in numerous hostels throughout her travels and found HI-Chicago to be very impressive. She enjoyed meeting fellow travelers in the lounge, the information posted around the hostel with suggestions of fun things to do in the area, and our MLK Mural Competition still on display.

We wish you safe travels home and hope you enjoy your time with family and friends!

Interview by Kim Pitingolo

Traveler Spotlight: Hank

This afternoon I stumbled upon Hank making tea in the hostel dining room and thought he would be perfect to chat with for the Traveler Spotlight. 

Hank is from Seoul, South Korea and will be spending a total of three weeks traveling around the US. So far he has been to New York City, Niagara Falls, and Chicago and is heading to Denver, Colorado tomorrow. He told me that he likes Chicago very much and especially enjoyed his visit to the John Hancock building where he was able to drink a Chicago-style martini in the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor.

Hank told me that he loves tea culture and that's exactly why he chose to bring his special tea pot with him on his travels. After he showed me the intricate tea-making process, I was lucky enough to have a cup of Hank's woorong tea. He told me this is a very special, high quality Taiwanese tea that is very popular throughout Asia. It is said to lower your cholesterol, cleanse your body, and keep you slim (sounds good to me!). Thanks for the tea Hank! Happy travels and thanks for stopping in Chicago on your adventure.

Interview by Kim Pitingolo 

Traveler Spotlight: Johnny & Ed

This morning during breakfast, I had the pleasure of meeting Johnny and Ed - two very interesting fellows from the UK.

Johnny and Ed are old friends from university and have been exploring Chicago together for the past week. Johnny is currently on a five month sabbatical and has already visited Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, New York City, and Chicago is his last and final stop on his trip before returning back to his job in Wales at the end of this week. Ed, on the other hand, took a week off work from his job in London to visit Chicago and meet up with Johnny.

They were drawn to Chicago because many of their friends from the UK who previously visited just raved about the city so they were curious to see it for themselves. Since they’re at the very end of their trip (and budgets) they’ve been finding free and cheap things to do around Chicago. So far they’ve visited the Art Institute of Chicago, Improv Olympics comedy show, and Buddy Guy’s Legends Blues Club. Today they’re planning to check out the Museum of Contemporary Photography, attend another improv show, and eat more Chicago-style deep dish pizza. Have fun! 

Interview by Kim Pitingolo 

Traveler Spotlight: Gustavo

As I was wandering around breakfast at the hostel this morning, trying to snag a cup of free coffee, I noticed Gustavo sitting quietly at a table by himself. He was one of the few hostelers enjoying breakfast without a laptop in front of him, and I took this as an invitation to interrupt his solace for a quick Traveler Spotlight interview.

Originally from Brazil, Gustavo is currently traveling for about a month and a half through the US to audition for a place in a music academy. I know -- he's Brazilian, he has great hair, and he's a musician? Almost too good to be true. He'll be here for another week or so, ladies.

So far he has wandered around Millennium Park, taken a look at his reflection in the Bean, and checked out some of the many theaters scattered throughout the downtown area. He seems unfazed by the cold weather and eager to keep exploring. He told me that he's hoping to sneak a peek inside the famous Chicago Theatre on State Street -- who knows, maybe he'll even get to perform there someday? He has an audition on Saturday for a place at Roosevelt University, and then he's off to the next city and the next audition. After that, it's back to Brazil to play the waiting game until May, which is when he should start hearing back from the universities. Good luck, Gustavo!


Interview by Jackie DesForges