By Simran Sultania:

Pampering moms, caring dads and annoying siblings; undeniably, nothing in the world replaces the feeling of staying with your folks. Definitely, home is the best but we can’t ignore the perks of staying in a hostel.

People from different parts of the world come together to stay in a hostel, away from home, with the hope of becoming independent, to become self-reliant, and to prepare themselves for the future adversities (if any). Going away from your comfort zone and managing yourself entirely on your own is what a hostler knows best. Trust me, I have been staying in different hostels since the past 5 years and I know how difficult it is to be away from your family members, but I am content because what I am getting today is what people staying at home miss out on in their lives!

Hostel also provides a platform for individuals coming from very different geographic and cultural regions to become best of friends and I am sure in some way, people staying at home would have missed that out if the social networking sites did not exist.

According to a popular belief, hostels are also one of the reasons that children get detached from their family, but what I feel is when you stay away from someone, you know how important that person is and that naturally increases the love and respect for them in your heart. The most significant and amazing thing about being in a hostel is how it makes people forget about regional, social and cultural differences and teaches to live as a family.

It is generally said that students who stay away from home usually miss out various family rituals, their culture, and lack a sense of attachment with their religious proceedings etc., but what I feel is that they are culturally more aware and active. At home we are generally restricted to a certain category of festivals but this is not the case in a hostel.

Today, I know what lohri, Christmas, Pongal and Eid is all about and how to joyfully engage in the celebrations. Although I can bet anyone from my family would not be aware of how lohri or Christmas or Eid is celebrated. Nobody cares about the social stereotype and people just enjoy being themselves. Interacting with people, getting to know different languages, indulging in others cultural practices is what gives a hostler a diversified identity.

Also, being a foodie is the most appealing part of staying in a hostel where the theplas, kharkharas, rasams, the till ke ladoos etc. Not only I enjoyed the food but learnt to cook these new cuisines, a plus point in most moms list. In the end, hostel has made me grow as an individual. Today I feel more self reliant and independent and it has made me more aware about different cultures from all over the country. I’ve never felt happier about being a hostler in the most substantial years of my life.