Hello guys,
I want to tell you about my experience of being a backpacker. I began to backpack 8 months ago and I think that this has been the best experience of my life. Last September, I quit my job and follow my dream of traveling around the world. Life is too short to postpone your dreams. Sometimes we think that our happiness will appear in the future when we stop working or when we have enough time to dedicate to the things that we love to do. But I think that we have to follow our dreams right now because life is short and uncertain. I want to tell you about the things that I have learned from traveling as a backpacker.
- Be minimalist. We don’t need a lot of things.
When you are a backpacker you have to possess the less possible things. You learn that you don’t need a lot of unnecessary stuffs because those will become an annoying burden for you.
- Be prepared for changes and unexpected situations
When you are backpacking you are not certain about many things. Specially if you are traveling like me and prefer not to plan a lot. Sometimes, you have to be in places very unusual for you or you have to meet people and eat food that you are not used to. So you have to be prepared to accept and enjoy these situations.
- Sometimes you are not in the mood of doing things
When you are traveling for a long time, you have not always the energy to do a lot of things all the time. Some days you want to take a rest and stay in a single place. It is normal because we are human beings and we get tired. So learn to have some off days in your long travels.
- Be organized
When you are backpacking you are like a nomad and you have to move frequently with all your stuffs. You have to pack and unpack constantly and that is why you need to be very organized with your belongs. Try to keep your backpack very organized and keep in mind where is located every single article in your pack. It will save you some time and will prevent you from losing stuffs. One tip is to pack every stuff in mini packs within categories. For example all the underwear must be in a mini pack. This way it would be easier to find something.
- Be present and enjoy every single moment
Finally, when you are visiting new places everyday, you want to take pictures and videos to send to your family and friends, share in social networks or simply for keeping the memories. However, sometimes we spend more time taking pictures that actually enjoying and observing the place. My advice is that you first take the time to observe and enjoy the place for some minutes, then choose your favorite spot and then take some pictures. This way you will capture more valuable pictures for you. But remember that the best memories remain in the mind.
And you, have you some tips for traveling? Add some tips and share with other local guides.
