Being that backpacking entails bouncing around from place to place, you are meeting new people from all corners of the globe on a daily basis. Hence, everyone has a similar list of questions and conversation topics to cover.
Obligatory first introductions:
• Where you’re from
• How long you’ve been on the road
• Where you’ve been
• Where you’re going
• Where your favorite places have been
• What you’ve done
• If you are traveling with anyone
• What types of transportation you have used (i.e. how hard core you are)
• When you are returning home
• What you do (did) back home before traveling
• What you plan to do when you go back
Granted, a lot of these conversations have become routine, but it’s always interesting to hear what everyone else’s stories are. Many are similar -- gap year between school & work, holiday-makers, job-quitters, etc – but I like to hear how other people have worked travel into their lives.
It also happens on a regular basis that I get to throw myself, and all of America, a pity party in regards to our piss poor, life-eroding lack of holiday time. The conversation usually goes like so:
ME: Hi, what did you get up to today? Any suggestions on things to do/see?
THEM: Hi, yeah, we did blah blah blah and it was good. We recommend it.
ME: Cool, I’ll look into it. So where are you from?
THEM: We are from XYZ country. Where in America are you from?
ME: California, originally. So have you guys been traveling for a while?
THEM: Oh, we are just on holiday from work so we only have about 4 weeks to travel. Yourself?
ME: Not on holiday, exactly. I quit my job and I've been traveling almost a year now
THEM: Wow...you couldn’t just take time off from work?
ME: Well, it’s a bit more complicated. In the States we get about 12 days’ vacation a year and a handful of public holidays.
THEM: You are joking, right?
ME: (shrug)
THEM: That’s insane! We start out getting 4 weeks and it goes up from there. Plus public holidays. How can anyone go anywhere?
ME: Well, a lot of people go to New Jersey. Or TGI Friday’s.
Boo hoo. Woe is me. But you can't deny how crap that is. The only places I’ve spoken with people about where they are worse off re: free time to “have a life” are South Korea and Japan, the #2 and #5 ranking countries on suicide rates.
So that’s cool.
Perhaps Canada is in my near future. Vancouver? We'll see...
Obligatory first introductions:
• Where you’re from
• How long you’ve been on the road
• Where you’ve been
• Where you’re going
• Where your favorite places have been
• What you’ve done
• If you are traveling with anyone
• What types of transportation you have used (i.e. how hard core you are)
• When you are returning home
• What you do (did) back home before traveling
• What you plan to do when you go back
Granted, a lot of these conversations have become routine, but it’s always interesting to hear what everyone else’s stories are. Many are similar -- gap year between school & work, holiday-makers, job-quitters, etc – but I like to hear how other people have worked travel into their lives.
It also happens on a regular basis that I get to throw myself, and all of America, a pity party in regards to our piss poor, life-eroding lack of holiday time. The conversation usually goes like so:
ME: Hi, what did you get up to today? Any suggestions on things to do/see?
THEM: Hi, yeah, we did blah blah blah and it was good. We recommend it.
ME: Cool, I’ll look into it. So where are you from?
THEM: We are from XYZ country. Where in America are you from?
ME: California, originally. So have you guys been traveling for a while?
THEM: Oh, we are just on holiday from work so we only have about 4 weeks to travel. Yourself?
ME: Not on holiday, exactly. I quit my job and I've been traveling almost a year now
THEM: Wow...you couldn’t just take time off from work?
ME: Well, it’s a bit more complicated. In the States we get about 12 days’ vacation a year and a handful of public holidays.
THEM: You are joking, right?
ME: (shrug)
THEM: That’s insane! We start out getting 4 weeks and it goes up from there. Plus public holidays. How can anyone go anywhere?
ME: Well, a lot of people go to New Jersey. Or TGI Friday’s.
Boo hoo. Woe is me. But you can't deny how crap that is. The only places I’ve spoken with people about where they are worse off re: free time to “have a life” are South Korea and Japan, the #2 and #5 ranking countries on suicide rates.
So that’s cool.
Perhaps Canada is in my near future. Vancouver? We'll see...
I guess "freedom" comes with a price here in America. Well, maybe for some ;)
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