I’ve always been a big fan of low-budget trips.
The main reason isn’t just that I don’t like spending money (though that’s definitely part of it 😅), but because low-budget travel often means weird, inconvenient experiences. Those make for the best stories when you’re back home. The one I’m about to tell captures that perfectly. It’s still one of my favorite travel stories to this day.
The Creaking Roommate Link to heading
Back in the year of our Lord 2015, I was a young man intent on studying Computer Science at the University (with, let’s say, less-than-excellent grades). I was almost 24 and absorbed by the usual youthful interests: love, football, computers, and listening to music.
Music, especially, was like an invisible friend to me, always by my side at almost every moment of the day. During that period, I recall listening to a wide range of music genres and exploring the most eclectic playlists available on Spotify. Some albums were imprinted in my mind, contrary to the database notions that I should have studied (such as ACID properties) for the next exam session. CDs were still popular then, and my car’s stereo spun the same few albums endlessly. On the gold list were names like Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, and Black Keys.
The Black Keys were, hands down, my favourite band. Their sound was a perfect blend of Rock and Blues tones. I had to see them live.
The occasion came that year, right after the exam session. My “cousin” and I scored tickets for the O2 Arena in London. Now, I should clarify that my “cousin” is not my cousin by blood. Our mothers have been friends since childhood, so we grew up like family.
We couldn’t contain our excitement for the trip, so we bought the round-trip ticket and booked the hostel on the same day to ensure our presence there. But as luck would have it, the band’s drummer ended up with a serious shoulder injury, so the concert was canceled and our dreams were broken.
We claimed a refund for the concert ticket, but we couldn’t have done the same for the plane and accommodation, so we opted for a semi-unknown Italian Indie band concert in Camden Town on the same days.
Day 1 Link to heading
Once in London, we realized just how far our hostel was from the city center. That explained the suspiciously cheap 18£-a-night rate. It was at the end of the Jubilee Line with no compliments for its interior design and cleanliness. What surprised me was the view of a beetle walking undisturbed on the shared space in front of the reception, as a long-standing loyal guest of the building. Our dormitory was a shared 4-bedroom with a single bath for the whole flat. Two other strangers were staying with us, but I don’t recall us talking with them. I just remember one of them on the bottom bunk to the left, the other on the top bunk to the right.
That evening, we headed to Camden Town for the concert. It turned out to be surprisingly fun, and I even bought a band T-shirt in a burst of post-show euphoria. I still proudly have it in my wardrobe. Once the event was over, we got back to the hostel, not before a brief stop to indulge the cravings with a time-honored course of fried chicken wings at 1 AM. As we entered the dark room, I noticed a pair of eyeglasses glowing in the laptop light. One of our roommates was awake, clearly annoyed by our late arrival. I lay in front of him, and my cousin climbed into the bottom bunk, above him.
Day 2 Link to heading
The next morning, my cousin surprised me with a weird question: “Did you hear a strange noise this morning? Something like a creaking” I was amused. I’d actually slept really well and hadn’t noticed anything. “Probably just a dream,” I said. “Let’s go enjoy the city.” We laughed and left.
London has always had a great fascination for me. In particular, for its free museums and the Romanesque and Gothic designs. We took a walk in the city center, visiting the world-class National History Museum, showcasing a vast range of specimens from natural history, including dinosaurs, gems, and human evolution, housed in a stunning Victorian building. Between subway rides and museum visits, the day flew by. We returned to the hostel and went to bed early, since we had our flight back to Rome the next morning.
Day 3 Link to heading
The awakening on the third day happened early, unlike our standards, around 7 AM. The Sun streamed through the windows, damp with the night’s breath, and a rather strange noise bothered my hearing. I remained motionless for a few moments, held back by the morning vigil, then, after regaining consciousness, I slowly pulled my head out of the sheets to understand what was disturbing my peace. Finally, with one eye half-closed and the other still asleep, I managed to see a meter away from me, and the reason for the creaking became clear. The answer was a meter away from me, intent on a constant undulating motion, which in a certain sense lulled my cousin to sleep on the bunk above. Our roommate, every early morning, had the healthy habit of giving himself undisturbed pleasure.
When my cousin eventually got up, I made sure to tell him that I had heard that strange noise too.