What's with white people and backpacking?

[Born2bwire]

It's easier tot take the time off when you are young as opposed to taking a break once you've started your career. Most of the travelers I met in Europe and South America were from Europe, not the US.

People backpack because it is fun and you get to see the world. I'd take 6 months of living in shitty hostels hopping from city to city over 6 months of slaving in an office any day. No reason to get jealous of the people who are able to do it. 6 months is insignificant amount of time in the grand scheme of things and once you have traveled like that the experience will stay with you forever. Plus its easier to do in your 20s before you have a serious career going and before you have commitments like marriage or kids. It's a personal journey, but def a waste of time if you spend all of it with the other Brits/Yanks getting smashed all the time. A break from the rat race in between two phases of life.

The thing to actually be annoyed about is the people who are pretentious about their traveling. I wouldn't blog about it because there is really nothing interesting for others to see in a blog about someone else's travels unless they are a great writer and doing really interesting and novel things. 99.99% of travelers never do anything noteworthy (or blogworthy).

Eh, it could be for family and friends back home. My folks pester me constantly for photos and stuff like that. And in a way, it could be more for yourself than others. I have the memory of a dead trout. After realizing how much I forgot about my trip to Munich and how well the pictures I took jogged my memory I decided to be more proactive about taking pictures and trying to write down what I have done so that I can actually remember it at some later point.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Ever been camping? It's like that - nothing but the wilderness, your friends, and your own abilities.

 

[PricklyPete]

I have done a lot of traveling to Europe...but never of the backpacking sort.

I go "backpacking" all the time though in State/National parks here in the US/Canada/Mexico. I LOVE getting away from the busy life with a friend or two and really enjoying nature. These are always my best vacations.

 

[KMFJD]

Doesn't make sense to go backpacking anywhere else. Not safe in Africa, Asia, Middle-East etc.

Do you live in a plastic bubble?

 

[DaWhim]

Its called the pilgrims trail, goes from rome to northern spain where the apostle james is supposed to be buried, thus its the Santiago Pilgrims trail

one way to meet a lot of different people from all over europe primarily and the food is basic but cheap and wine is cheap or free

I backpack remote areas myself, looking for solitude etc.

when I was in Ronda, Spain, I met a taiwanese guy that was on a mountain bike. he finished that trail started from the east of spain and then after santiago, he went to portugo down the argives and i met him in Ronda. meeting people like that re-affirm my idea about travel. If I am going to taiwan, I am sure I will have a place to stay.

 

[zinfamous]

Backpacking
http://www.pbclibrary.org/images/rl-backpacking.jpg

"hiking," or rather "back-country hiking" is the more appropriate term.

in the UK and Europe it's called "trekking"

FYI.

 

[meltdown75]

little black backpack?