Sigrid Maier first visited our hostel as a backpacking traveler in 2004. She really liked the city of Toronto and the Canadiana Backpackers Inn. That was the beginning of her (thus far) seven-year association with the hostel.
Sigrid returned in 2005, opting to take a “gap year” from her studies to come to join our staff and thus help develop her already condiserable English skills.
According to the hostel’s manager, Sandra, she adapted to the somewhat complicated booking system faster than any other employee – before or since.
Sigrid lives in Ravensburg, Germany and is a graduate of the University of Konstanz with a degree in English Literature and Linguistics. As you might have guessed, she is an accomplished polyglot and speaks English, French, Italian, Swabian (an Alemannic dialect of High German) and, of course, German.
She also created the hostel’s first Facebook Group (Canadiana Backpackers, Toronto) which has well over 1000 members.
Sigrid re-visitied us last summer and has returned this summer for another visit. She has a ready smile and gregarious personality and, as a result, has made a lot of friends around the world and here in Canada.
Sigrid expressed amazement at how many people here remember her and has maintained contact with old “hostel friends” from Dublin to Darwin.
You can meet Sigrid most evenings this week on our patio. She’s the blond with glasses catching up with old friends and making new ones. And she’ll likely have a glass of wine or cider in her hand.
Don’t hesitate to say, hello. She is very approachable.
Guess where she’s off to?
Her home: Here’s what she’s leaving for a hostel bed!
Check out her “wallpaper” at home in Ravensburg.