15 Things I Loathe Nearly Backpacking
Posted: 06/24/2019 | June 24th, 2019
I’ve been backpacking for over 10 years now. That’s a long fourth dimension to move period, allow solitary rest in dorm rooms, alive out of the same backpack, as well as move on the cheap.
But I actually honey this shape of travel, which is why I’ve continued to practise it for so many years.
I bask hostels, coming together people, lite travel, the wild adventures, the youthful vibe, as well as non having guides as well as tours concord my mitt the whole way.
Plus, I honestly don’t reckon whatsoever demand to pass lots of coin on resorts as well as fancy rooms. Why pass coin on a hotel when I tin sack pass that coin on nutrient as well as drinks instead? (Plus, if yous learn to move h4ck, yous tin sack precisely earn points to rest at hotels for free!)
But, fifty-fifty though I bask my move style, it doesn’t hateful that I e'er love it. In fact, sometimes I really, really, actually hate backpacking. Here’s why:
1. Dorm Rooms
Hostel dorm rooms are inexpensive as well as a non bad way to encounter people, because yous are shoved into the same room amongst them. You don’t convey a alternative but to acquire to know each other. (Well, yous don’t convey to talk, but so it gets a flake awkward.)
But sometimes yous don’t desire to encounter novel people, acquire the top bunk, or convey to bargain amongst 3 snorers inward a six-bed room. That’s when yous actually start out to loathe hostels. I all the same role dorm rooms because they hold costs down, but I actually dislike how ofttimes they acquire inward the way of a proficient night’s sleep.
2. The Same Conversation
Whenever yous build it somewhere new, travelers enquire the same 5 questions: Where are yous from? Where are yous going? Where convey yous been? How long are yous traveling for? How long are yous here?
After ten years — heck, afterward ten days — it’s pretty ho-hum having the same conversation over as well as over again. They are the default, basic questions everyone (including me) asks. It becomes 2nd nature.
However, these days I mix it upwards to keep things interesting. When I acquire asked ane of the 5 questions, I respond yesteryear bespeak their shout out as well as so something similar what’s their favorite coloring or favorite mass or to the lowest degree favorite identify they have ever seen. It is far to a greater extent than interesting than “what practise yous practise dorsum home?”
I acquire that these questions shed a lot of lite on someone piece they travel, but every long-term traveler gets sick of them afterward a while. Next fourth dimension you’re inward a dorm, essay to enquire dissimilar questions to the people yous meet. You mightiness precisely larn something interesting!
3. The 5-Minute Friend
You encounter non bad people — and so tomorrow they are gone. Maybe yous volition reckon each other again, perchance not. That’s ane of the biggest downsides of travel.
It’s non bad coming together so many amazing people on the road, but I loathe how everyone is e'er leaving, specially precisely equally yous acquire to know someone. It’s a snowball of sadness. I’ve met countless amazing people on the road, as well as sure, inward that 2nd as well as inward that time, nosotros had a blast. Maybe that was all that was meant to be. But it’s overnice to convey some consistency as well as convey a friend for to a greater extent than than five minutes.
4. The Excessive Partying
In the backpacking world, it’s e'er someone’s kickoff or final nighttime as well as so a argue to acquire out — which agency there’s a lot of drinking going on. (A LOT!) I’ve done my fair portion of partying, as well as I’ll acknowledge that it’s non bad when yous are precisely starting out. You are excited close the road, everything is new, as well as it’s a proficient way to encounter people. And at that spot are tons of non bad political party destinations unopen to the world!
But afterward a few months, it gets ho-hum as well as repetitive. You acquire weary of precisely drinking all the time, equally though that is the alone activeness inward the world. Can’t nosotros precisely go practise something else? Does alcohol e'er convey to live involved? Let’s go play minigolf, reckon a movie, go bowling, or catch a concert. There are to a greater extent than to countries than their bars. Plus, all that drinking tin sack actually swallow into your move budget!
5. The Cheapness
I empathise that long-term travelers convey a fixed budget. When I kickoff went overseas, I alone had a express amount of coin as well as it had to final a long, long time. That existence said, did yous actually come upwards all the way to Espana to non convey the paella? You flew to Nippon as well as never ane time had sushi or anything to a greater extent than than inexpensive ramen noodles? Skipped skiing inward the Alps because of the cost of a elevator ticket?
Come on! You alone alive once. Do something to a greater extent than than a gratis guided tour, seat upwards your ain meals, as well as drinkable beer all day. It’s non bad to live frugal, but at that spot is a fine work betwixt existence frugal as well as existence cheap.
6. Know-It-All Backpackers
There is e'er someone who has traveled to a greater extent than than you. Even afterward a decade of backpacking the world, I know people who convey 12, 15, 20 years amongst naught but a travel backpack on their shoulder.
However, what I loathe is when people interject into other people’s conversations or plans as well as start to give their persuasion close where they should or shouldn’t go. Or they volition start out to tell yous the history of a identify (and most probable acquire it wrong) to essay to “educate” yous on how things actually are.
Don’t live a know-it-all. Travel isn’t a competition. We’re all out hither living our life as well as enjoying it equally much equally possible. No ane likes a show-off.
7. The “Who’s a Better Traveler?” Game
Too many travelers similar to utter themselves upwards yesteryear discussing how long they convey traveled for or how many countries they convey been to, equally though traveling is a race or a competition. “You’ve been to 20 countries?” “Ohh, good I’ve been to 37!”
Or yous mightiness hear, “You didn’t actually experience province X because yous skipped activeness Y.”
Comments similar that build novel travelers experience bad close their ain experiences. Don’t live that person. It doesn’t affair what activities yous convey done or if yous convey been to 4, 19, or 150 countries — everyone’s journeying is their ain as well as all are equal.
8. The Herd Mentality
I wanted to live a backpacker because they embodied a spirit of adventure as well as discovery. They were out to reckon the world, regain its hidden secrets, as well as encounter novel locals.
Turns out, that’s ofttimes non the case.
More ofttimes than not, backpackers today follow the same well-laid move route that thousands convey tread earlier them. They precisely follow the pack. Yes, pop places are pop for a reason, as well as I would never, for example, propose skipping Thailand, Paris, or Costa Rica precisely because at that spot are other tourists there.
But come upwards on, essay to live a flake to a greater extent than curious! On your side yesteryear side trip, wander off somewhere random. Get away from the crowd, fifty-fifty precisely once. You won’t regret it!
9. Always Being “On”
Sometimes I precisely don’t desire to utter to everyone. Sometimes, I precisely desire to read my mass as well as rest in, catching upwards on Game of Thrones or whatever novel demonstrate I’m inward the mood to binge.
But so that makes me the antisocial guy inward the hostel as well as people expect at me differently. I loathe how yous ALWAYS convey to seem to live friendly as well as upbeat. People are social creatures, but it is also proficient to convey some solitary fourth dimension to decompress as well as relax. Always existence “on” is precisely also mentally exhausting for me, specially when yous are asked the same questions every twenty-four hr menses (see above!).
10. Goodbyes
I convey said to a greater extent than goodbyes inward the final ten years than whatsoever human should ever convey to. And despite the changes inward applied scientific discipline as well as social media, yous know the emails volition tardily fade away despite the best of intentions. Life moves on as well as people go their separate ways.
Sure, yous volition convey that non bad 2nd inward fourth dimension together, but the to a greater extent than yous travel, the to a greater extent than yous realize the difficult truth that yous mightiness never reckon that soul again. And the to a greater extent than yous loathe having to tell goodbye.
11. The Quick Romantic Relationships
You encounter people, yous leave of absence people. It’s a distressing bike that agency that precisely when yous actually start to similar someone, yous split upwards up. It makes having a long-term committed human relationship on the route actually hard. You are together piece yous are on the road, but so people go left piece yous go right. And then, equally speedily equally it began, it is over.
It’s difficult to e'er convey to start as well as halt feelings. And often, since yous never actually “break up,” yous never acquire whatsoever existent closure. The route becomes a serial of curt relationships — as well as that tin sack acquire tiring.
12. Backpack Flags
You tin sack tell it is a way to recollect where yous convey gone, but what it actually does is allow people know how awesome yous are for having been to so many places. It’s all business office of the “who’s the to a greater extent than experienced traveler” one-upsmanship that happens inward hostels.
And it annoys me.
A lot.
You convey photos, memories, as well as passport stamps to recollect where yous convey been. I dubiety your purse actually cares. Let’s telephone phone a spade a spade: sewing flags from every province yous convey been to is precisely a way to demonstrate the basis that yous are good traveled.
Now, I don’t desire to pelting on anyone’s parade. I acquire that yous desire some souvenirs as well as that you’re proud of your travels. But this is ane of those things that precisely irks me.
13. Dirty Kitchens
Despite all the signs that tell people to build clean upwards their mess, they never do. Why? Because it’s non their kitchen as well as they are leaving soon. Someone else volition practise it, so it’s non their problem.
I actually loathe hostel kitchens for this reason, as well as it’s why I avoid the kitchen if it’s busy or messy. I didn’t move unopen to the basis to build clean upwards your mess. Do it yourself! What are you, nine years old? Your woman bring upwards is non hither to build clean upwards afterward you, as well as it’s inconsiderate leaving a muddied kitchen for the side yesteryear side person.
14. Missing the Gym
I similar to operate out. Traveling makes me unhealthy as well as out of shape as well as I don’t similar it. It’s difficult to hold a salubrious lifestyle on the road, as well as I wishing I had the direct chances to go to the gym as well as operate out to a greater extent than often.
(Maybe hostels volition start having gyms, similar hotels!)
15. Sex inward Dorm Rooms
In instance at that spot was whatsoever doubt, I practise non desire to listen yous having sec. Ever.
Go acquire a individual room. We don’t believe her moans of pleasure, as well as nosotros don’t desire to reckon your white ass. For the cost of ii dorm beds, yous tin sack acquire a individual room inward almost whatsoever hostel inward the world. And if it does cost more, it isn’t that much. Get some privacy, convey amend sec, as well as allow everyone else sleep. Please.
Of course, I don’t really loathe backpacking. Most days, I honey this mode of move as well as I honey backpacking. It’s fun and social, as well as yous acquire to encounter amazing people.
But sometimes, the piffling things precisely grind your gears, which is most ofttimes when people are rude as well as inconsiderate. Backpacking is a non bad lifestyle, as well as similar whatsoever lifestyle, it has its ups as well as downs. I’m precisely lucky it has to a greater extent than ups than downs!
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