Backpacking Is the Best Way to Travel

By Cody J Markin  

I'm addicted to backpacking. There are so many places that I want to go in the world and I really do not see a reason why I will not visit them. Backpacking the best way to travel in my opinion. The basis of it is to travel cheap which in turn makes your money last longer and extends your trip. Backpacking is not for everyone. It involves eating cheap (street food), sleeping cheap (hostels/guesthouses/couchsurfing), and traveling cheap (on foot instead of taxis). There are many reasons why I love to backpack and i'm going to try to narrow them down to five (in no particular order):

The feeling of being out of your element

Those of you who have been out of the country no exactly what I'm talking about. Its the scared/excited feeling when you get out of the airport and realize you're in a different place than what you are used. The signs are in a different language, the food smells and looks different, the people drive differently and look at you differently because they know you are not from here. Some may be wondering " why is this a good thing?" Well its really hard to explain but when you get this feeling you know that you better open up your mind get ready for an adventure you will never forget.

Time has no meaning

If I had to pick, this would most likely be my favorite thing about backpacking. There is no specific time you have to wake up and get out of bed everyday. There is no specific time you have to be here or be there. When you are backpacking you are free. Free to do what you want when you want and how you want. I like the saying " you have no where to be and everywhere to go". That sums it up perfectly.

Lugging around that heavy backpack

My backpack is much smaller than others but when i pack it, it gets packed full. I mean your backpack is the holder of everything you own while you are on the road so it better be able to fit it all. One of my favorite things to do is walk around with my backpack on regardless of how heavy it is. It feels good to have it on. It makes you feel like you're part of an elite club that doesn't have very many members.You're part of the backpacking club. Now, every time I'm at an airport I look around for backpackers. They are easy to spot not only because they carry a giant backpack on their back but they just have a certain style about them. It's hard to explain but they just look like a backpacker. It makes me jealous of them when I see them and i'm not with my backpack because they are about to go on an adventure of a lifetime. I just tell myself that that will be me one day very soon.

Street food

Street food is my favorite. Not only is it cheap but its authentic. Its what the locals eat. Whenever I go to another country I do my best to eat like the locals. Most of it is really good. In every country i have been to so far there has been the fast food chains that we are used readily available for all the tourists but why would I travel thousands and thousand of miles to eat like I do at home? I do my best to limit the amount a whoppers and big macs and Subway subs I eat while on the road but I'd be lying if I never eat them. I usually visit one of these chains once every 10 days or so. There's no doubt in my mind that if i had never left the country that I would have eaten scorpion, grasshopper, deep fried frog, whole octopus, maggots, and all the countless other great/horrible tasting things I've tried. But hey. at least I can say I've eaten those things! Can you?

Meeting great people

When you backpack its really easy to meet people. i mean, you already have one thing in: youre both backpackers. I have met countless of meeting during my travels so far. Some were just friends while on the road and others I talk to till this day. A great place to meet people is at a hostel or bar. This is why I try to book hostels that have a bar in it. You can meet people there very easily then if you get along well enough tag along in a group to the next city then go your separate way. Once you break out of your shell of talking to people it becomes real easy. I friends all over the world that will have a place for me to sleep if i'm ever in their neck of the woods.

Activities

I have done so many crazy activities that I would not have gotten to do if I didn't go backpacking. some of these include: scuba diving in Honduras and panama, climbing up to and being 2 feet away from flowing lava in Guatemala, white water rafting in Honduras, canyoning in Switzerland, canopy tour in Costa Rica, horse back riding in Nicaragua, elephant riding in Thailand, petting tigers in Thailand and much much more. Life is all about making memories and having stories to tell.

These are a few reasons why I love to backpack and I will always be a backpacker at heart till the day I die.

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