Backpacking as a 30+

I did my first backpacking when i was already 30+. As they say, better late than never. I know most westerners do their round of backpacking across europe/asia in their 20s. they save up from their summer jobs, take a study break and venture out into the world before taking the big leap as professionals.

When i travel now and see students out to explore the world for a month, sometimes for longer...i feel a sharp pang of jealousy. As a bangladeshi student, i haven't seen anyone i know enjoying that 'luxury' of footloose travel. we are paranoid about even a fortnight of unemployment and for valid reasons. What would i have written in my resume? "backpacked in india, met thousands of new people and gained a lifetime experience" unfortunately would not have counted for much to get me ahead in the corporate race. I could not dare to take that risk and very simply, could not afford :-) my starting salary in 2001 was 10,000 taka and if i hadn't had my home car for drop and pick up, i would have ended up spending the entire salary on taxi fare. So around the world in 80 days remained a dream for me, a mirage to chase, while i was busy securing a place in the job market.

couple of other things stops us from traveling. our families would get a scare if we announce after graduation: "hey i don't want to join the job market just yet; i want to take it easy in life and discover my passion". I can see the daggers of practicality and realism taking down even the very thought of irresponsible bohemianism. We are all groomed to follow a certain path. The boxes of the tic-tac-toe of our lives are already defined and it's unimaginable to step out of the squares. the winning formula of success and happiness is predefined by social expectations. This is why our generation relates so spontaneously to the movie 3 idiots and the song "give me some sunshine, give me some rain, give me another chance, i wanna grow up once again"!

second concern is security. i haven't seen most of my country yet. but my sense of security and self consciousness stop me. i would be dead scared to travel anywhere in bangladesh alone as a female traveler. so in my 20s, i stayed safe and followed the usual route of study-graduate-work. i missed the opportunity to travel when i was studying in UK in 2006-7 for a year. life long habit dies hard. i was homesick, scared, not adventurous and let it pass.

but now, i grab every opportunity of traveling that comes my way. i have backpacked in europe on my own and happy to be finally living the dream. backpacking gives me a refreshing feeling of having no strings attached. by strings i mean - a highly regimented itinerary and carrying the load of heavy luggage. i can stay anywhere - a youth hostel or a bread and breakfast -and am not constrained by predefined itinerary or hotel reservations. i have everything i need in the backpack and can move anytime i want. it gives an amazing sense of freedom and mobility. when i backpack, i also realize how little i can do with. everything has to be counted, every item of cloth, every gram of weight and it's a good experience to be able to survive with the bare minimum. it also puts a natural stop to my shopping urges - as i simply don't have any space to accommodate the extra baggage :-) so when on a tight budget, backpacking is highly recommended.

it's not everyone's cup of tea, as the living and travel arrangements are not often perfect. i have seen people sneer at the idea of staying at a hostel or a shared dormitory. some might say it does not go with my social standing or my age. backpacking means you are not always the most fashionably dressed. being unkempt, spending weeks in just one pair of shoe and no shopping - does not sound appealing. but i enjoy the lightness, the no hassle packing, the mobility and the sense of freedom that comes with it. try it! it can be addictive!