Hostel in the Forest

The view out my window.

Yesterday morning I awoke to the sound of Kookaburra the Rooster crowing beneath my window. Refreshed, I rolled out of bed and pulled back the patchwork curtain. From the large window of my own personal treehouse I surveyed the scene below me – the chicken coop, the other elevated cabins, and the most artistic compost outhouses I'd ever seen, all surrounded by towering cypresses and pines. If you're ever in southeast Georgia, do yourself a favor and stay a few nights at the Hostel in the Forest.

My treehouse "Elmo", the original built on the property.

Things were slowing down at the Hostel for the one night I stayed – there were seven staff members and only two guests. Yes, the hippie vibe is strong, but the staff all have a calming way about them, and we spent a lovely evening around the camp fire spinning glow toys and hula hooping after chowing down on a home-cooked vegetarian meal of stuffed portabellos. If you ask the staff where they are from they will reply, “I'm from here,” and you can absolutely tell that no matter how long or short their stay has been, they consider this tranquil place their home. The new manager's story reads like a Hollywood script: clean-cut Yankee city boy relocates to rural Georgia to whip hippie hostel into shape. Life lessons and challenges both physical and psychological ensue. In his own words, “I didn't even know I needed this place until I came here.”

I myself felt very at home here, and from the moment I arrived I felt the inclination to pick up some tools and lend a hand. The Hostel, started in 1975, requires constant upkeep, and they often rely on the skills of the guests to keep it in good nick. If I can find the time I'd love to go back down and do some work exchange for a week or two.

http://www.foresthostel.com