Happy 100th bday, hostelling!

Help me raise a glass to lockers, kitchen cubbies, dorm roommates, and bunk beds everywhere.

Yes, that’s right–we’re celebrating the 100th birthday of the hostelling movement, and the 75th birthday of Hostelling International USA!

Next week is Open Hostel Week, from August 23-30. Find a hostel near you and see what’s planned–it could be anything from hostel tours and good eatin’, to travel presentations and scavenger hunts.

And if you happen to be near Northfield, Massachusetts, join the dedication of an historical marker at the site of the very first U.S. hostel. Festivities will be Sunday, August 23rd, starting at 2:00 p.m.

If you want to take your celebration to the streets, enter HI-USA’s One World, Many Views contest to win a flight to Europe and a one-year HI-USA membership. Submit a photo or video that relates to hostel travel, or the organization’s mission of international understanding and stewardship. Enter by September 30th.