In London with Hannah and all of our gear!
Backpacking is a mentality. Allowing yourself to take the minimal amount of your comfortable life, (aka large amounts of clothes, electronics, 10 pairs of shoes) and be immersed in the place that you decide to go.
Last summer I backpacked to London, Amsterdam, Belgium and Paris in 10 days with my friend Hannah from my study abroad in Spain. After a frantic haze of planning, we jet off.
All we brought with us were a small camping backpack stuffed with rolled clothes, two pairs of shoes, one pair of leggings, one pair of pants and minimal toiletries. Our partnership magically worked in more than Hannah’s arrival and last minute agreement, she wore the same size clothes as me.
After a sleepless study abroad our enthusiasm carried us to London in its fancy sites, tradition and English speaking boys, to pushing our limits in our sketchy Amsterdam hostel, to a comforting home in Mons, Belgium, to almost falling in love and falling apart in Paris.
We survived in moments we thought we wouldn’t, we were pushed to be adults when no one could swoop in and save us, and we had the time of our lives. I learned so much from Hannah in how to be independent, how to take care of myself and how to have fun in all situations. I can’t thank her and all the random awesome people we met along the way in the cafés, the walking tours, the bars and the hostels enough.
Here are the basics on anything about backing
1. Who: You! If you want to have more freedom to go where you want go by yourself and meet your friends along the way. Another option is to look into bring a buddy. Having a friend will make boring situations fun, but add compromise in your travel.
2. What: According to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, “Backpacking is the activity of visiting places, usually far from your home, carrying your clothes and other things you need in your backpack”
3. When: In Europe there are three main seasons to consider. For more information visit http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/timing-your-trip
a. Peak Season: Mid June- August
b. Shoulder Season: April-Mid June
c. Off Season: November- March
4. Where: Europe’s Backpacking industry is growing and there are many places geared toward cheaper student travel.
5. Why: To push yourself and to learn, live and grow in ways you never thought possible.