Discover + Experience + Adapt + Survive = Backpacking Trip

By Ela Bader

Camping at the lake in Bariloche

Time in your life comes when you feel that you need to travel, pack your bag and get going. Leave everything behind. The idea of stabilizing and spending the rest of  your life in one place just seems unacceptable as a scenario for now. So you decide to make your greatest dream come true and go on big trip! Awesome, you will DISCOVER the world, visit those paradise places you’ve heard of, learn so much about the world that you would never learn in any other way.

The best and cheapest option for couple of months of world discovery is backpacking. That means organizing the whole trip on your own, hunting the flight deal to your destination, moving from place to place using hitchhiking or cheap local transport and camping or staying with local people or economic hostels as the accommodation. This type of traveling is brilliant because it gives you freedom of your own decisions and schedule. You get first hand EXPERIENCE of a local culture and lifestyle,  meet many new friends and have as many adventures in a month that you never had in your whole life! You may also learn a new language and develop cool new habits which will replace the old ones. You will never be the same person again. Sure you will have an adventure of a lifetime and unforgettable experience! And yes it is addicting, try it once and you’ll never stop. Your appetite for discovering the unknown will never be satisfied and your wandering soul will always be hungry for more.

Traveling the backpacker’s style is not a piece of cake though.  Everyday you have to find a place to sleep, something to eat and you do it in a new and unknown location almost everyday! Then comes the exhaust after many hours spend in transportation and walking long distances while burned by sun or chilled by cold winds. One quickly learns that most important is to ADAPT. To the new conditions, climate, customs, mentality. You have to leave a lot of things and habits back home. Your luggage is limited to the necessary minimum that you will carry everyday. Backpackers are like a turtles – carry their homes on their back. Also do not get attached to whatever you brought with you. Accept loosing or leaving things along the way.  The situations you will find yourself in are often tough. For sure you’ll learn to SURVIVE in various conditions, you will be more self reliant and those skills will be useful for a lifetime. After couple of nomadic trips I know it’s worth it and I want more!

What is backpacking for you? Feel free to leave a comment 🙂

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