If you build it, they will come.

On February 12th, 2010, it will be 12 year that I've owned The Kelowna International Hostel. We bought it, 12 years ago, as a run-down dilapidated "crack" house and turned into a flourishing international travelers hostel.

I remember that first day of ownership...we had sold our town-house and packed up all of our belongings, placing them in storage. We stayed in a hotel the night before, living in a tiny bit of luxury before our lives were about to drastically change. At 8:00am, we walked into our new home, greeted by about 18 people - drug dealers, transients, people smoking in the livingroom, placing their smoke butts on a dinner plate, already heaping with ashes and butts. The stench was overwhelming. It was seriously the worst place I'd ever set foot.

By 10pm, there were 3 police cars there, helping us kick people out who would not pay. By 2:00am, I fell into bed, crawling into my sleeping bag and crying myself to sleep, fearing for what I had done. I prayed. I cried. And then I woke up on Day 2 and started to pick up the pieces.

It got worse before it got better. 3 months of "worse". I needed the money so I let anyone stay - it didn't matter if you had just gotten of jail or if you had broke out. If you had money, you could stay. Guests, for the first few weeks, were people in very difficult situations - drug dealers, transients, locals... The occasional "traveler" that did come...left the next day.

I gutted the place. My mom came out to help for 3 weeks. Thank God. Together, we spent 3 weeks working side-by-side. I don't know what I would have done without her.

In those early days, I saw another side of life that I had never imagined, let alone been surrounded by and immersed in. At night I would push my dresser in front of my door so I could go to sleep at night without fearing that one of the "guests" would break in to my room and steal my nightly deposit $. By day, I thought of the movie "Field Of Dreams" and the famous line in the movie, "If you build it, they will come." I thought of this ever day, every hour, every minute...whatever it took to get me to the next minute. I took containers of needles (from drug use) to the hospital - that I had found in holes in walls. I tore apart every surface area and repainted, resurfaced, and refinished it. Over time, I hired staff to help.

I had a vision...and I believed that if I built it, they would come.

Thank God, they did.

Over the past 12 years, the hostel has served thousands of guests from around the world, from ages of one day old (a lady came to Kelownato have her baby at a midwifery clinic...and the day after having her baby, she returned to our hostel to stay one night before travelling home!) to over 80 years "young" (2 ladies who's spouses had passed away, who decided to travel the world at the age of 80!).

It's the happiest place on earth.

The staff, who really run the hostel now, are all travellers themselves and are utterly extraordinary.

At the 10 year anniversary, I got temporarily "lost". I only had a 10 year vision or plan. When I reached that point, I didn't know what to do. I thought about selling it. Temporarily. But now, as 12 years approaches, I've created a new vision...that celebrates 5 more years with this amazing and blessed home-away-from-home. Then we'll re-evaluate.

So, for the next 5 years, I will continue to "build it"...with the most amazing staff on the planet...and I hope and pray that travellers from around the world "will (continue) to come".

Through the past 12 years, I have discovered what happiness is - for me.

The following quote says it all...and it describes my mom perfectly.
“Some of the HAPPIEST moments in life are when the body and mind are stretched to their limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”
Anonymous
Mom - your whole life has been an example of living out this quote....one big voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile...stretching your body and mind to their limits. You are truly extraordinary.
Love you. Crystal
PS I'll never forget those few weeks at the hostel with you, Mom. You saved my life.