Jim
Welcome! I've been operating hostels most of my life (see Our Story). I started this hostel in 1998 after seeing a need for more hostel beds in Portland. Born on the east coast in our smallest state, Rhode Island, I moved to my father's homeland, the Pacific Northwest, when I was 15. With a degree in counseling from The Evergreen State College and training as a carpenter, what better credentials can one have to create and operate hostels. So here I am enjoying an incredible life! Some of the things I enjoy are traveling, hanging out with my staff and travelers, and playing soccer on our team.
 

Britta
Guten Tag! I am from Germany and have been working at the hostel since 1998. I studied business management in Germany and spent my summer breaks in Portland and at the Seaside International Hostel. After college, I had the chance to come back to Portland and work for the hostel. I love what Oregon has to offer:  hiking along the Oregon Coast or in the Columbia River Gorge with its many waterfalls, skiing on Mt. Hood, biking around Portland, watching $2 movies at the Mission Theater, free concerts in parks all summer long, great local micro-brew beer, ... I am sure you'll have a memorable experience in Portland and Oregon!
 

Torello
I was born and raised in Inverness, CA, but have spent the last nine years playing in a band and working in bars and restaurants in NYC.  I am happy to be back out West and am having a great time exploring and learning all that Portland has to offer.  I have lived in Kaneohe, HI and Taos, NM and spent two summers working in Alaska.  I have stayed in hostels in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Thailand and hope to stay in more in the future.  I look forward to meeting people from around the world, so please stop by and say "Hi."
 

Tracy
I was born in NY and grew up in Connecticut before being forcibly moved to Virginia at 14.  I graduated from the College of William and Mary before moving to NYC to pursue a life on the stage.  I've traveled in Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela and would love to return to Angel Falls one more time.  I enjoy playing and watching sports and look forward to checking out our own Portland Beavers down at PGE Park.
 

Abby
Good day, and how do you do? I hail from the east coast city of bridges, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, though I've also lived in Los Angeles and Boulder, Colorado. After studying criminal justice at a small women's college in Pittsburgh, I fell for Portland because well, I never feel weird here, just right at home. I love that people here are generally so respectful of their city and the others who live in it. You'll see me cruising the streets on my vintage mopeds, running in the parks, and winding down with tasty local brews (try Roots Organic Brewing Co). I recommend that you check out our farmer's markets, walk along the riverfront, and just try to beat my high Tetris scores at the classic style arcade, Ground Kontrol! Most importantly, talk to me and tell me about the places you have been!

Adam  
Hello,
I wasn’t born here but identify myself as from Portland, where I moved at the age of 11.
I hold a BA in Spanish, have traveled extensively in South and Central America, and lived for a bit in Bogota, Colombia, where I taught English language. 
Currently I’m enjoying meeting people from all over, trying to keep up on my Spanish, and trying to pick up a little French.
I look forward to hearing about your travels and sharing my enthusiasm for all the great things Portland has to offer. 
While in town I recommend sampling some of our great micro-brews, and browsing Powell’s City of Books (although not necessarily in that order).

Rachel 
Hi! I’m Rachel. I was born in Nebraska, grew up in Southern California and then was forcibly moved to Oregon at the age of 16. Bitter at first, I soon fell in love with Oregon and never looked back (well, after I bought a rain jacket).
I graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Business and then moved up to Portland. In 2006,  I bought a 3 month ticket to New Zealand and ended up staying two and a half years. Go figure. I’ve traveled in Australia, Mexico, Canada and all across the US. Portland rocks and I am happy to be back. So many good things to see and do in this city I don’t know where to begin! In fact – let’s chat over a Portland microbrew.

David 
Hey there, and welcome to the City of Roses! I'm David, and other than my early years being spent in the Bay Area, I am a native Portlander. Though I have lived here for the better part of two decades, I am still finding new and quirky Portland places to hang out and explore. I have a political science degree from Oregon State University (Go Beavs!), and also had the opportunity to live in the extraordinary city of Vienna, Austria for half a year. In my spare time you'll find me gettin' down at Portland's great music venues, disc golfing whenever weather permits, and sampling all of our wonderful micro-brews! I have hostelled all around Europe and parts of the Middle East and have got the travel bug bad! To satisfy this bug I love to chat it up with the travelers at the hostel, so don't hesitate to spark up a conversation with me!

Mary Liz  
Hello! I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, but after living there
for eighteen years, I decided it was time to see what it's like to
co-exist in other places outside of NYC. I spent four years in
small-town Ohio where I earned a BA in Art History and Film Studies, and from there I decided to head further West. I lived in Seattle for a few years, but Portland kept calling out to me. Here I am! When I'm not here at the hostel, I can be found riding my bike (hopefully not falling off of it), playing music in basements, sampling the multitudes of vegan food in this town, or hiking around with my camera in one of Portland's wonderful parks. I've been fortunate enough to have done a bit of traveling in my life and would love to swap stories. Most recently, I've been dreaming about hiking and biking the Great Divide and visiting Pie Town, NM, a town named after its two pie shops (pie is, generally, pretty exciting). I'm curious about most things and places, so come chat me up!

Tessah  
Welcome! I'm Tessah and I'm from Ashland, Oregon but lived in Arizona and North Carolina as a kid. When I'm not sampling from Portland's incredible food carts, taking photographs of our great skyline and bridges, or dancing to at a live show with a smooth Oregon micro-brew in hand, I am dreaming of the next place to travel and explore. I recently returned from teaching English in South Korea, where I was also able to visit Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I've also lived in West Africa, and traveled around Europe and Mexico. Thank you for visiting us here in Portland, and I hope you leave the beautiful Pacific Northwest with only great memories!

Kate  
Hi! I was born and raised in Adelaide, Australia- which is also where I studied painting and glass-art, poured beers and completed my Bachelor’s degree whilst squirreling away pennies to go a-traveling. I recently backpacked around Southeast Asia and parts of India, it was an amazing experience and thanks to the hostelling tradition I met some unforgettable folks along the way! I’m the self-proclaimed Australian ambassador on staff here at Northwest (by default). I love Portland for its’ relaxed vibe and unique culture. I think this town is awesome, and if you like art, live music, good food and parks, I'm sure you’ll think it’s awesome too! (note: I call everyplace “town”, but Portland is actually a city). There are definitely a lot of things I haven't seen or even found yet... But, I’m busy exploring, and will gladly share all the fabulous things I find. If you find a fun thing or two whilst you are out-and-about, please share them with me!