Backpacking gives you a sense of freedom I had never experienced before. Living a simpler life tends to happen on its own while backpacking for longer durations simply out of necessity. While travelling for 8 months around the world I found myself wishing I had things that simply didn’t make sense to travel with as a backpacker.
I quickly learned that my pack could be my best friend, providing me with everything one would need to explore everywhere I had ever dreamed. Or it could be a major pain in my back, digging into your shoulders begging to be thrown onto a bed or curb side. Making the daily task of finding a place to stay your first priority just to end the pain. How you decide to pack and more importantly what you decide to pack tends to make all the difference on whether your time wandering around a new location is exciting and enjoyable or if it is agonizingly torturous. For myself I prefer to have less and be more comfortable but that was not always my perspective. I wanted to gather gifts and souvenirs which quickly filled every little bit of spare space in my pack. So much so that if not packed just right my bag threatened to explode at the seams. After dreading even short walks between hostels and home stays I finally came to my senses and began to downsize. So I ditched things I didn’t need, reducing my clothing down to about one week’s worth and started adopting more realistic shopping practices. Purchasing small trinkets versus larger bulky things like the didgeridoo I just had to have. My bag now packed down smaller and the comfort gained by a small reduction in weight meant I could walk without praying for a place to rest. This was a turning point for me and quickly adopted my partner Alex’s mindset where every gram mattered. I finally understood why after leaving a place she would tear out and trash pages of our guidebooks.
Although freedom and comfort came at a price. There were many times I wished I had something I didn’t. Quickly I came to the conclusion that the things I missed having with me would never fit into a backpack. They were all too large or bulky and consisted of outdoor gear that would allow me to truly experience the places I visited without restriction or the feeling that something was missing. Rock climbing, surfing, kayaking, kite boarding, snowboarding, these activities would never be a part of a backpacker’s lifestyle unless rented or borrowed. The solution to this problem seemed like more of a dream than a real attainable option but still it seemed like Alex and I found one.
Sitting on a beach in Koh Phangan, Thailand watching the waves roll in, enjoying a fresh fruit juice I remember staring out at the sunset daydreaming about how amazing it would be to have all the gear we ever wanted right here with us. In the distance there was a silhouette of a sailboat dancing around its anchor. All on it’s own apart from a few longtail fishing boats and the odd seagull nearby. What if we had a boat? I remember asking Alex as my mind raced and thought of all the places we could visit. Places I had only dreamed of going, remote islands where you could surf a break all on your own or climb a wall only a few have ever seen. We could go anywhere we wanted as long as the water was near. This whole big wide world could be explored without feeling like it was out of our flight budget or that we would need to make a specific trip to fully experience all a place had to offer because of a lack of gear. We could bring it all with us, the surfboard, climbing gear, kiteboard, we would have it all on hand when we wanted to use it. Wow, what a dream that would be, and of course at the time it was only a dream. Something that seemed so far out of our reach and maybe even unrealistic considering neither of us had really ever sailed anywhere nor did we know how. But some dreams get so entrenched into you subconscious that they never seem to go away.
After we returned from our trip with empty pockets and more debt than we planned the plans for our next adventure starting brewing inside our heads. We went back to the grind and started to save and take steps towards our new goal. We wanted a sailboat and nothing was going to stop us. Four years of saving planning, re-planning when the first five plans didn’t work out, finally taking the plunge and buying our small sailboat, moving aboard, fixing it up, and now finally starting to cruise south. I almost wonder how we got here and wonder if we would be here at all if it wasn’t for our backpacking trip four years ago. I know now that whether your goal is backpacking the world or sailing everywhere you ever dreamed of or anything in-between. It is more about the steps you take to get there not the excuse you tell yourself that it can’t be done.
Check out our trip around the world
Or our new adventure on our sailboat
Cory
