Being a Backpacker

It's a funny thing, being a backpacker. Back home I am like a rare person in most of my friends/family lives that wants to travel like this, for so long and so far away. Now that I am doing it though I am seeing how completely common this is. It feels like EVERYONE travels this way! I am meeting people from countries around the world, far and wide, and everyone has similar stories of being on the road for x amount of time and they are hopping to x countries. Everyone has different itineraries but everyone is doing it. Im suddenly understood to the point of being totally unoriginal. People who have lived in at least five countries for a year plus at a time and taking small trips in between. People who do it because they cant not. Also people doing it because they just graduated uni or because they weren't sure if they liked travel or not, but knew now was the time to see. So many stories, one common thread: they have to travel.

The group I did the jungle trek with. I plan on visiting a couple at some point in the next couple years!

Backpacking is also a totally different experience than any other kind of travel I have ever done before. Staying in hostels, everyone is traveling on the cheap by staying in rooms with four to ten bunk beds. But it isn't just a cheap way to travel, its also an amazingly easy way to meet other people. And suddenly after talking with someone for a bit they say "Oh hey Im off to see a thai fight, you're welcome to join me" and then suddenly you are seeing parts of the city with someone for a day or two and getting drinks with a group of people you're in the same room with and it's all very fluid. You have to specifically not plan out every single day so you can allow room for things to change. It's also a better way to find out the best things to do around town because the people constantly coming and going from the hostel means people are there before you and have already done a ton of things so they can tell you the best stuff to do instead of relying on what the internet says.

Seeing a muay thai fight with Loic!

As much as Im enjoying meeting new people and whatnot though, Id be lying if I said I dont get lonely sometimes. Lonely in the sense I miss certain people, and the closeness I have with certain people. Meeting tons of travelers and having these things in common is amazing, but it all stays fairly surface simply because you dont have the time to develop much more before one or both of you are off to the next location. I really really hope some friends or family come and visit me for a couple weeks while Im in Australia this next year, but Im not holding my breath. I know how big of commitment that is with finances and time. Im sure things will change and it'll get easier the longer I am away, and and now after being on the road for three weeks it already has been. I imagine once I get to Australia I will be able to make closer friends too since I wont be hopping as frequently as I am now. We shall see!