Rutgers University Alternative Breaks: True Colors and Aussie Travelers

Hey all! This is Sam and I am one of the six members who are currently in Brooklyn to pursue urban farming and food justice. I, as well as Kimber, Phil, Randi, Alex and Beverly (whom you'll see more of in later posts and pictures) are sitting around the table after going through some wonderfully pizza-y post-dinner eats and getting to know one another better by means of a True Colors activity. If you're looking for an easy way to get to know people, by the way, run an Internet search for "True Colors" and thank me later.

I'll backtrack a bit, though, to encompass the earlier bits of today. We left Rutgers after eating some delicious multicultural burritos from the student center and arrived in Penn Station around six. Navigating the subway afterwards was quite an adventure but we eventually got to Brooklyn safe and sound with nobody left behind! Despite the frosty weather, it was exciting to walk down the artfully graffitied streets. After backtracking, squinting at distant street signs and making sure to look both ways before crossing streets, we got to the New York Loft Hostel. Trendy and spacious, beautiful and welcoming, this in all aspects surpassed any expectations I had for a hostel in the city. The only slight against the place would be the winding corridors and stairways that seem to transport you to someplace unexpected. Easy to get lost but more to explore! In fact, just tonight, we met a group of Australian travelers in the communal kitchen. They told us about how riots are generally rare in Australia; we tried to explain where "Old" Jersey went. Indeed, the magic of hostels and cities showed itself to us on just the first day, bringing peoples of all cultures together and finding commonalities across borders. Overall, this was a great prep night to the rest of the week, Brooklyn welcoming us warmly as we hope to give something back in the next couple of days. Keep checking in with us here and on our Twitter (@RUCommService) throughout the weekend; it'll get a lot greener from here on out!