Zahra Khozema was studying for a Masters in journalism when she was offered an unpaid role at Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s international news bureau in London
Zahra Khozema was drowning in more than £30,000 of debt when she took on an unpaid internship in London, one of the world’s priciest cities. At just 23 and working towards a Masters in journalism, she couldn’t turn down the chance to join the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s international news bureau in the capital, despite the financial strain.
It was 2019, and the driven and determined Zahra pushed her mounting money worries aside, diving headfirst into the opportunity. But with typical London rent hovering around £500 a month, the freelance journalist and podcast producer from Toronto had to get inventive about accommodation.
Her solution? A hostel. She secured a spot at Bowden Court hostel in Notting Hill, where £80 a week bought her the lower bunk in a room shared with three other women, plus two daily meals, laundry facilities and gym access. All nestled in one of the capital’s most upmarket areas.
“It was the cheapest I could find. The room was tiny; if one person was standing up, it felt crowded,” recalls Zahra, now 30. “The people I met were really diverse. There was a Japanese guy who cut everyone’s hair, a British gentleman who liked to paint portraits, lots of students, people who came from the EU to learn English working in retail and hospitality and a few British pensioners too.”
What began as a temporary fix turned into a year-long arrangement, as Zahra became deeply integrated into the community. Residents would throw parties, teach one another different languages and share meals together. As a seasoned traveller, Zahra was no stranger to hostels.
“I feel like they get a bad rep, especially if you choose them as accommodation as an adult. I’ve often found hostels to be as clean as Airbnbs and I very much prefer them over hotels,” she explains. Bowden Court was cleaned twice daily, bed linen was changed weekly and it offered 24-hour security plus a deal where extended stays meant reduced rent.
“By the end I was paying maybe £50 to £60 a week”, she says. However, there were inevitable drawbacks: privacy was non-existent and storage space for belongings was limited. All her possessions were crammed into her suitcase, bedside table and a slim wardrobe.
“Some people really made it their own. People had furniture that they brought in, beautiful sets of matching beddings, curtains that they bought, fluffy pillows and rugs,” she says.
“There were no chairs in the room and my roommate would sit on my bed. I really don’t like outside clothes on my bed, so I would have to ask her not to. And anyway, if you sit on the bed, your head hits the bunk above, so there was nowhere to chill on a laptop or watch a movie in the evening.
“I spent a lot of time exploring the area and found some empty coffee shops and parks I could work in for long periods when I didn’t want to be around people. And my roommate started dating someone. He was very nice, but they would use the top bunk while I was sleeping at the bottom. And there were two other women in the room as well!”.
“And when he slept over and rolled in bed, the whole structure of the bed moved. And also, sometimes the food was terrible. I just wanted to cook something and I couldn’t.”
Zahra came prepared with a bag of wipes and cleaning products, ready for any last-minute tidying tasks. While living in the hostel, she secured full-time work in communications, earning sufficient income to eliminate her debt before returning to Canada.
“I was able to save all that money because my living costs were low with the hostel and the pandemic meant I wasn’t going out.”
After 12 months, Zahra relocated to a house-share with four fellow hostel residents she’d befriended, which felt luxurious in comparison. Yet she’ll forever cherish her hostel experience.
“All in all, I have great memories from that time. I made friends for life. When I moved to the UK, I only had enough for a one-way ticket, but when I returned home after two years, I was clear of debt. I was really grateful that I was able to do that,” she says.
