When I got to Budapest, there were several cheap hostels available on the Hostel World app for just a few euro a night.

I tried out The Hive party hostel for a night. I ended up rooming with a big group of Irish girls who went to a bath rave. I didn't go, but it sounded fun, though unsanitary.

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The next day with my money almost out, I thought I would try Vitae since it was even cheaper. It took me a while to find it, and I almost gave up. Finally, I stumbled up to the third floor reception desk, where a French girl named Luna told me that I wasn't at the right place. The hostel was up another flight of stairs.

Frustrated, I turned to leave, but she mentioned that if I volunteered, I could stay for free in the staff dorm.

"Volunteer for what?"

Vitae's lower floor had been converted into a Ukrainian refugee shelter, she explained.

I told her I would think about it, but had already booked the hostel. I went upstairs.

Budapest, it turns out, is a great place to party. It has a cheap, touristy night life. There are bars all over the city, not to mention their infamous ruin bars--old factories converted into bars & clubs (somewhat like Berlin).

I went for a boat party on the Danube River and bought one-dollar (400 Hungarian forints) pizzas and beers. After about a week of this lifestyle, I was was worn out, jaded about tourist traps, and low on money.

I was left with two options:

1) Fly home early

2) Volunteer and stay for free

I knew I wasn't about to leave Europe early, so I found Luna the next day.

She set me up in the staff dorm with the other volunteers. She said that most people who volunteered were just passing through for a couple of days, but I could stay longer if I wanted. Some volunteers had stayed for weeks or months.

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Victor was the first volunteer I met. He was carrying some donated sandwiches. He road his motorcycle all over Europe, regularly stopping by at Vitae to volunteer.

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A day at Vitae started around 8AM. Shifts were divided between cleaning and reception duties, with 3 hour shifts starting at 8AM, 11AM, 2PM, and 5PM. I usually picked up one cleaning and one reception shift a day, with 1-2 days off per week.

The mornings were quiet and warm. Lunchtime usually meant balmy weather and good smells wafting from the kitchen courtesy of Anton or another Ukrainian chef.

The afternoon was sweltering and dead. Most people would leave to find somewhere with AC, or sit in their rooms in front of their fans, which just blew hot air.

The evenings were busy. If you had the 5PM reception shift, you'd often find yourself working until midnight, waiting for late arrivals coming in from Ukraine or diverted from neighboring countries. The train schedule from Ukraine or Poland could be unpredictable and sporadic. Sometimes people would miss their train, meaning they didn't get in until 2AM or later.

Cleaning duties were:

• Bed changes

• Laundry

• Food Inventory

• Bathroom Cleaning

• Kitchen Cleaning

• Sweeping & Mopping

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Reception duties were:

• Creating new reservations by corresponding with displaced Ukrainians on Whatsapp, Viber, and Facebook

• Maintaining the reservation system

• Tracking check-in, check-outs, and room keys

• Maintaining the common room

• Talking with refugees, volunteers, and food donors

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Vitae was never empty, and there was always something going on. On several occasions a group of young Ukrainians stopped by for a few nights carrying a cat, snake, and multiple owls. We became suspicious they were trafficking animals, and they had to leave. There was usually at least one guest dog on the premises.

The shelter was split into two sides each with about 5 rooms. An outdoor balcony connecting the two sides served as a smoking area. I even got OK at rolling cigarettes.

Free food came courtesy of the upstairs Vitae Hostel. Food bought by hostel guests during drunken Budapest benders was always left in the fridge upstairs the next day. Later, the Hungarian Red Cross became more active, donating pasta, bread, canned veggies, and coffee.

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If you were bored, you went to the smoking area or the hostel to chat with people and relax.

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If you had the energy you went out with the hostel crowd from upstairs for bar crawls or boat parties. But most nights, it was quiet, just chatting with Ivan or Anton.

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For several weeks I was only one of a few volunteers. The other early volunteers were Luna & Wes (they were a couple; Luna was French and Wes from somewhere in the US, we never got that straightened out). Victor was French, but grew up in the US. Elliot was a former Cal Poly San Luis Obispo basketball player, who had been on some type of study abroad program in Russia when the war broke out. And finally, Christina from Cyprus.

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After a few weeks, a new wave of fresh volunteers from all over the world showed up--England, Ireland, Australia, the US, Italy, France, Malaysia, Indonesia. 

Vitae's main entrance and balcony smoking area

Laundry hangs drying on the balcony while an unexpected owl guest stretches its wings