I LOVED this hostel. You guys.
At first blush, I assumed I was going to be too old for the vibe. In fact, if you know me, you know I’ve always been too old for a vibe like this.
But, it turned out to be much more than just crazy décor. The multilingual front desk hosts were so friendly both the guests and each other, and their family-like attitude made for a very welcoming atmosphere. Plus, the building itself was designed for mingling, with an open-plan lobby/dining area (with a beer wall), and a very inviting outdoor patio.
I especially loved the little messages from the brand’s mascots “Jo” and “Joe,” which were found everywhere and in the least likely places (the mirror in the individual toilet stalls, the door to your room…)
Of course, they made it very convenient to spend money with them by letting you load cash onto your room key card. Classic move à la Disneyland, which I would have appreciated more had there been in-house laundry facilities.
Dorm life was pretty cool – all the girls seemed to be pretty respectful of one another to the extent one could reasonably expect. (I’m not counting flipping the room lights on at 1 am, I might’ve done the same thing myself if I hadn’t realized THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE TOP BUNK RIGHT NEXT TO THE LIGHT TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP SWEET JEEZUS *ahem* sorry.)
The first night, I had just put on pajamas and debating about whether I was too tired to shower before bed, when a girl tripped into the room from the patio (like, actually fell into the room) and asked where the washroom was. My blank stare (trying to process whether she meant “restroom” or “laundry room”) resulted in her asking if I spoke English. Too tired to respond with a Monty Python-inspired “I got better!” I answered yes, and she immediately asked if I wanted to come with her see the Eiffel Tower light up with a light show at midnight. She was in town on a 24-hour layover, and this was her only chance.
Okay, true confessions: I’m in my thirties. On the one hand, I’m SO lame and want to go straight to bed after arriving in my third country that day. On the other hand… no, I still want to go straight to bed. Who wants to get dressed again, even for an opportunity like this?
Moment of truth: what choice will I make?
It also turns out that UberPOOL is a great way to practice your French with tired, annoyed French people who just want to get home and wish the driver hadn’t picked you up too. Some are nicer than others. Others also don’t seem to know that my comprehension of French far exceeds my limited ability to speak it conversationally, and that I know when they are asking the driver why he went so far off course in order to pick us up. I then got treated to the driver defending himself and his method of making a living. They had no idea I could even hear them, let alone understand; my new Canadian friend seemed rather oblivious to the whole thing. So far so good.
Throughout my five nights at JO&JOE, I met quite a few wonderful people of all ages. There was the Australian filmmaker, who’d made a whole lot of money at once making commercials and was now on walkabout to figure out what he wanted to do with his life next. There was the architect from North Carolina who had been on a tour of Europe with her husband and was doing the second half of her trip solo; she had a job waiting for her when she got back, but was unsure whether she wanted to accept it or not. Then of course, there was my Canadian friend from the Eiffel Tower, who was also trying to figure out what to study when she got home… does anyone who travels long-term have any idea what they want to do with their lives?
JO&JOE has no age limit, and retirees hung out watching little kids toddle about. It was really precious, and I very much enjoyed having my faith in humanity restored while having a drink in my hand.
Lovely outdoor space pic
Although there were only two other girls in my dorm the last night I was there, one of them went to sleep REALLY early (like, jet lag-early.) I felt like I couldn’t subject her to three hours straight of the enthusiastic squealing that makes up my teaching, so I opted for the balcony. Yes, the one overlooking south Paris.
I love teaching, and am so happy to continue to be able to do it as I travel. My last night in Paris, I had a pretty great view from my office.
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Also, be sure to check out this write-up – they took much better pictures than I did, haha.