It was one month into my 15 month career break and for the first time I was alone. I had the first month to ease into travels first with my friends, next with my sister; but now I stood in front of the hostel in Capetown as my sister pulled away in the taxi.

[singlepic=1443,275,,,right]I was nervous, very nervous; this was going to be my first hostel stay in my entire 36 years of life. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with fears - fears I would meet no one, fears it would be uncomfortable, fears I would be the oldest person there, fears I was somehow going backwards in my life. After all, the last time I stayed in a shared sleeping arrangement (dorm) I was in college. However, I knew that if I were going to travel for 15 months, I would need to overcome those fears.

And I did…only to come to realize how irrational those fears were.

Hostels are a great option for career breakers of all ages, and more people then you think are utilizing them to keep expenses down, and provide social outlets as part of their career breaks. If you are like me and have never stayed in a hostel before because you think they are just for young partying backpacker types, then prepare to have that myth shattered.

Before you start your career break here are some strategies for easing into hostels as an accommodation for the first time.

Take a Test Run

You’d never buy a car without driving it first – so why not use that same idea and give hostels a test run? You don’t have to be out of the country to try out a hostel; did you know that there are many, many great hostels in the US? I recommend on your next short trip, instead of booking yourself into a Marriott or Holiday Inn, check out Hostelling International USA and see if there’s a hostel in your destination. This is a great chance to try one on and see what you can expect. Some of the hostels in San Francisco , New York City , Chicago,  and Martha’s Vineyardare in amazing locations with great facilities. You’ll find the staff is very knowledgeable about the tourist attractions, and you’ll probably save half the money you would have spent on a hotel to be used at a fabulous restaurant instead!

Ease into Dorm Rooms

Hostels have many varied layouts and options. Many of them offer private rooms (some with a private bath and some without) in addition to the traditional dorm style rooms. If the thought of sleeping in a bunk bed again makes you cringe, then ease into it by first booking private rooms in hostels (which are still cheaper than a hotel!). Enjoy the social aspects of the hostel but still have your private room with bathroom. After you’ve stayed in a private ensuite room, move on to private rooms with a shared bathroom. Next, start to try out the dorm accommodations. You’ll realize quickly it’s no big deal to sleep in a dorm setting again.

Finding Like Minded People

[singlepic=1442,275,,,right]Many people think that hostels are simply one big party of beer pong, and late night revelers; but that’s not the case. Sure, each hostel has it’s own personality, and some may cater to a younger partying clientele, but they are not ALL like that. So how do you find the one with the ‘right’ personality that will add to your chance of meeting more career breakers like yourself? Many career breakers are couples , so one good thing to consider when looking for a hostel is find one that caters to couples and has private rooms. The likelihood that you’ll meet more career breakers is higher in hostels offering a variety of accommodations.

Another good way to get a feel for a particular hostel environment is to read the reviews! A booking site like Hostel World has reviews from people who stayed there.  The reviews often including things like age travel expertise so you can get a great feel for the type of people staying there as well as what the atmosphere and cleanliness is like!

Career Breakers and more mature extended travelers shouldn’t overlook hostels as they are designed to accommodate the long-term traveler. All types of people stay in hostels, and I’m willing to bet that you’ll meet people you can get along with in any hostel if you go in with an open mind. Put your stereotypes of hostels aside and try one out; it may help you extend your career break budget even longer!