Fact: It only takes two words to make a backpacker’s eyes sparkle: “free lunch.”
Fact: It only takes four more words to turn that backpacker into a a buddy for life:\”do you want dinner?\”
Going backpacking makes you realise how little you really need. Apart from my book collection, I haven\’t missed much since I’ve been on the road. It’s a bit of a worry to realize that all I need to live can be stored on my back. I was especially shocked to realize that I hadn’t had Wendy\’s for over a month and was OK. And with only two pairs of jeans and limited accessories, it’s freeing to not have to deliberate over what to wear each day. It quite simplifies the process of getting ready in the morning.
The backpacker’s struggle is this: You have to carry everything. Too many bags, and you won’t get far. Too heavy a bag, and you’ll drop from exhaustion. Therefore, you give yourself a certain amount of size and weight, and you adhere to it. It’s like physics – if you purchase something, something else of equal or greater size and weight must be thrown out. It certainly makes you think twice about impulse purchases. Personally, I wish most things in life worked like this – I think I’ll make an experiment of it next time I make a purchase at home. One thing bought, one thing tossed. It would certainly cut down on clutter, don\’t you agree?
Some dangers of the travellers life:
My flash joggers now look like I’ve worn them continuously for four years. Australia’s Uluru with all the clingy red dust is mainly to blame.
I got myself so sunburnt scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef , that I had to cancel my white water rafting trip
I’ve lost either my shampoo or my conditioner or both I think a total of nine times by forgetting it in the shower long enough for another backpacker to claim it. Doh.
24/7 company is good but can be too much at times. I imagine long term travellers must fantasize about just one night in a motel room.|Towels never get 100% dry. Damp towels = disgusting. Smelly towels + dirty trainers = musty smelling possessions. I have learned quickly that backpacking is not a way to impress people with your personal hygeine. The true (female) backpacker wears no makeup, hair tied quickly
And on to the primary joys of the backpacker life:
Flexibility! Halfway through my travels from Adelaide to Perth, I decided I wanted to stay a week in Melbourne with a guy I met. So I did. Simple as that. I love it!
I’ve met travellers from everywhere! I’ve had long conversations with backpackers from Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, China, Japan, Canada, and the USA. (And those are just the ones I can remember at the moment.)
While in Cairns, I made new friends every night, even convincing a few of them to join me for dinner & the movies.
While snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, I made friends with a Italian who invited me to visit him in Rome. I think I’ll pass on that one, but it was fun to be asked to meet someone there, all the same. I’ll always be able to say that now.
I’ve met friends in one part of the country, only to meet them again in another! Case in point, I met Kylie first in my Stationhand class in Glen Innes, again two months later in Darwin, and again several weeks later in Melbourne!|I helped a Japanese girl work on her English in Glen Innes , and in return she made me an origami crane out of beautiful Japanese paper, which I still had when we met again in a bar in Melbourne
Pretty much, I\’d say that I rather enjoyed my experience of at backpacking Oz!
This blog entry is dedicated to my lovely brother in law, John, for giving me the inspiration for my trip.
