Travel Goals

1. Climb to Everest Base Camp.
2. Climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
3. Learn to Scuba Dive.
4. Visit every continent.
5. See the Galapagos Islands.
6. Sail down the Amazon River.
7. Climb Ayer's Rock.
8. Ride the Trans-Siberian.
9. Go into space.
10. Go wild at La Tomintina.
11. See the sunrise from Mt. Fuji.
12. Gaze at Borobudor.
13. Visit the Pyramids
14. Safari in East Africa.
15. Go to the World Cup!
16. See Machu Picchu.
17. Join the Century Club.
18. Visit Antarctica.
19. Do development work.
20. See Petra Jordan.
21. Backpack the Eastern Block.
22. See the Northern Lights.
23. Vegas Baby! Vegas!
24. Greek Island hop.
25. Cycle Tuscany.
26. Visit India.
27. Lounge in the Seychelles.
28. See Morocco.
29. Oktoberfest!
30. Caravan across the Sahara.
31. Visit Tibet.
32. Fly first class.
33. Go to Israel.
34. Carnival!!!!
35. Mardi Gras!
36. Cannes Film Festival.
37. Sundance Film Festival.
38. Eat a sushi meal at NOBU
39. Pacific Island hop.
40. Spend a night in the Ice Hotel.
41. See Glacier National Park.

Book Your Travel Here!!

Top Signs You are a Backpacker

October 15, 2008

Backpackers Are you a backpacker? Are you not sure if you are? Backpacking is more than slinging a backpack on your shoulder in setting off. It’s a way of traveling. If you ever wondered if you were a backpacker, now is your time to find out. If you do these things, chances are: you are a backpacker!

You don’t know what to write down when asked for your permanent address

You don’t know what to write down for occupation on the custom’s forms.

Pasta has been your main meal- for months. Sometimes you mix it by putting chicken in it.

You wear the same shirt for a week.

You wear the same jeans for two weeks.

You do your laundry in sinks.

Everything you own fits into one pack.

You make new friends everywhere- bus stops, ferries, train stations, airports.

You think nothing of sharing a room with the stranger you just met at one of those places.

Hot water is a luxury.

So is air conditioning.

You will sleep anywhere as long as it is cheap. Backpackers

You have a warped sense of cost. Three dollars for a room? great deal! Three dollars for a meal? outrageous!

When you go back home, you find it weird you can’t haggle over prices.

You can’t sleep without earplugs anymore, even if no one is snoring.

You haven’t slept in a room by yourself since you left home.

When asked what day it is, you can’t remember.

You ask people where they’re from, before you ask them what their name is and you remember them according to where they came from, not their name.

No matter where you go, the beer is never cheap enough.

You can say cheers in more languages than you’d like to admit.

You have permanent flip flop tan lines on your feet.

You find it odd to be surrounded by people who have the same accent as you.

You fill your pockets with as many breadrolls and jam from the free breakfast as you can so you can eat lunch today.

You get pleasantly surprised to find toilet paper in the bathroom.

Backpackers You believe that a good shower constitutes running water.

You haven’t showered without flip flops in months.

You plan your travel around getting a free accommodation on a train, plane or bus.

You have learned to say beer in 10 languages.

You budget revolves around how much alcohol you can buy in a night.

You spend your nights in airports to save money.

You know the nationality of everyone just by looking at their bags.

You see a television as a luxury and a waste of time.

You still think the three shirts you have been wearing for the past 6 months are fashionable.

You have fisherman’s pants.

You know what the word’s “visa run” entails and how painful it can be.

You plan all your future trips around free accommodation from all the promises people made to you at hostels.

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Posted by NomadicMatt | Filed Under Travel Lists

Comments

24 Responses to “Top Signs You are a Backpacker”

Geoff on October 15th, 2008 10:07 am

Spot on with most of those, but I will never, NEVER lose my fashion sense enough to think that fisherman’s trousers are a good idea.
Craig on October 15th, 2008 10:43 am

I am a backpacker! One thing I’ve been meaning to ask though Matt: what is a shower?
Ben on October 15th, 2008 12:33 pm

Great post! Consider it dugg
Alicia on October 15th, 2008 12:47 pm

God I miss backpacking, even though I’ve only done it for a couple weeks at a time. I’m hoping to be down in Thailand for Christmas actually, but only for 10 days
NewWrldYankee on October 15th, 2008 1:58 pm

Great List Matt - Don’t forget that there is not point to shopping for you, because you have no where to put it! And you have seen enough churches, temples, and so one to last a lifetime.!
jamie on October 15th, 2008 3:04 pm

What in the world are fisherman’s pants/trousers? Like cargo pants?
Sarah on October 15th, 2008 3:07 pm

Ha! Awesome list. i must say- my loyalties are divided. Some trips are best with no strings, no plans, no comforts- just a full backpack and some bulging pockets! I don’t even mind that mildewy smell all of my clothes get after being shoved not-quite-dry into a pile of other stuff.

Other trips, however, are a break from many long hours at work and require a comfortable hotel room, running water, much shopping and room service

Oh the fickle hearts of your readers, Matt, what will you do with us?
Ivana on October 15th, 2008 6:28 pm

great article…love the pic so much…
Quickroute on October 15th, 2008 7:52 pm

Accurate list! - don’t forget the diet of crackers for when Delhi belly kicks in
C K on October 15th, 2008 9:10 pm

Hey, two more to add!

- you carry around a small compact medical box, which is stuffed with self adhesive plaster

- you have a map, neatly folded stuffed in one of your pockets
NomadicMatt on October 16th, 2008 1:32 am

@craig: there is always time to shower!

@alicia: I miss it too!

@jamie: Fisherman’s pants are popular in asia. They are long and made out of a light and loose material to help keep you cool. Essential backpacker wear in the area.

@sarah: I don’t know what I will ever do with you!!!
Stevo | China Travel on October 16th, 2008 3:37 am

So true. I hate flip-flops.
lakshmi on October 16th, 2008 3:40 am

Ah ! well, I do fit a few of them..but still need a clean room and a loo..thats probably luxury !
wandermom on October 16th, 2008 6:34 am

It’s been a very long time since I’ve backpacked (hey, I have a 12-year-old), but it’s funny how familiar everything on this list still is.
Especially the ‘cheers in more languages…’
Tanya on October 16th, 2008 8:03 am

Not only do you know others by their nationality, but you also put descriptive words before said nationality according to their personality to help distinguish them from others of the same nationality: the crazy german, the hot norwegian, the weird australian, etc.
SammyK on October 16th, 2008 1:29 pm

“You ask people where they’re from, before you ask them what their name is and you remember them according to where they came from, not their name.”

I thought I was the only one!
Francoise on October 17th, 2008 1:37 am

Great list!

Does 30 out of 36 constitute a pass?

…I think I’d add “you feel naked without a money-belt”.

Does anyone else get “phantom money-belt” syndrome for a few days when they return from a trip? Sudden panic when you notice it’s not there?
Jenny on October 17th, 2008 3:55 am

I checked half. Does that still make me a backpacker?
Scribetrotter on October 17th, 2008 8:20 am

Having picked myself off the floor from laughing at the truth of it all, let me add… you know you’re a backpacker:
- when you throw out parts of your book as you read - it makes them lighter
- when you use baby shampoo to wash your clothes, wash your hair, wash your body - and in emergencies brush your teeth
- when you carry a jar of peanut butter or marmite in your pack, ‘just in case’
- when you find yourself squatting on your haunches for half an hour or more to chat, and feel no pain
- when you actually know what the BBC World Service is

and about not knowing what to put down as a profession… in fact, it’s when you put down ‘English teacher’ as a profession, no matter WHAT you do!
Beth Whitman on October 19th, 2008 1:18 am

I laughed out loud at this. There are more here that are true than I’m willing to admit to.

Thanks for sharing and being so thorough. LOVED IT!

Beth
Dawn on October 19th, 2008 10:38 am

ALL TRUE!!!! Love it!!
Cuckoo on October 20th, 2008 2:51 pm

Aah, I am a half backpacker then. Prefer a dry & clean loo though. Its another thing that I don’t get it most of the time unless checking into a (nice) hotel.

Scribetrotter’s points made me laugh.
Mircea on October 25th, 2008 10:57 am

“You get pleasantly surprised to find toilet paper in the bathroom.”
LMAO :)))) …this was so funny and true.
Signs that you are a True Backpacker at OnEarthTravel - A wonderful directory of Travel Blog on October 27th, 2008 12:54 am

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