You Know You’re Backpacking When…

Life changes when you’re backpacking. Your usual comforts and daily routine go out the window, and you end up living quite the adventurous existence. Anyone who has ever gone backpacking knows exactly what I’m talking about. Does this sound like you? 1) Your diet consists mainly of pasta — or whatever you can find in the hostel’s community cupboard. 2) Your current best friend is someone you met on a pub crawl. 3) Any meal that costs more than $5 is outrageous. 4) Sharing a room with less than 10 other people is luxurious. 5) The sink doubles as a do-it-yourself laundromat. 6) Twenty-hour bus journeys are the norm and a great way to catch up on sleep. 7) Instead of booking a tour, you take a train, two buses and then walk three miles to do the excursion/see the attraction yourself. 8) The train station is not just a transport hub, but a comfortable  cheap accommodation. 9) Wearing the same outfit five days in a row is perfectly acceptable. 10) The most important item you packed is your earplugs. 11) You have no idea what day it is. 12) You have no idea where you’re going tomorrow. 12) Hot water, air conditioning, television, towels and a private toilet are luxuries. 13) Getting dressed up for a night out entails changing into anything you didn’t where that day. 14) You think having any more than five shirts for a three month trip is over packing. 15) Doxycycline is part of a balanced breakfast. 16) You’ve made about 20 new Facebook friends this week. 17) You’re not too worried about running out of money. You can always change sheets at a hostel or pick fruit to stay afloat. 18) Eating bugs, intestines or guts isn’t really shocking. 19) You’ve recently seen, heard or felt at least one sexual encounter taking place. 20) You’re already planning your next trip.