5 Life-Changing Benefits of International Backpacking

From cultural immersion, friendship, and self-discovery

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

When I was younger, I had friends who went on backpacking trips to other parts of the world. They left the comfort of home, grabbed their passports, packed a backpack, boarded a plane, and I did not see them until, sometimes, months and months later.

There was one person who I didn’t see for over a year!

After they returned, we would sit together, and they would regale me and our other friends with tales of their adventures. They would tell us about the exotic places they visited and the crazy variety of people they met on their travels.

But most importantly, over time, they would share how and why this experience changed them.

I wanted that too. I wanted those experiences.

So one day in 2016, I decided to walk through my fear, get on a plane with my backpack, and go on a five-month backpacking trip to South East Asia, which changed my life forever.

Have you ever wondered why people go backpacking around the world? Why do they drop everything to go into strange lands with strange languages and strange customs different from yours?

Have you ever wondered what the point of exposing yourself to the unknown would be?

It is because it can be one of the most fun, enlighting, difficult, challenging, growing, eye-opening, spiritual, life-changing, and beautiful experiences you could ever do for yourself.

And you get to see the world!

Come with me, and let’s discuss.

Reasons For Backpacking

Let’s be honest. Yes, it can be scary before you take that first step out of your comfort zone.

When you are getting closer to your departure date, your nervousness builds. You may even start second-guessing yourself.

But fear not, my friend. Here are strong reasons why this will be one of the most rewarding experiences you can ever give yourself.

1) Leaving home (Give Yourself That Gift)

This first step is the most important step you can take. This is where you commit. You are deciding to leave the comfort of your home for a journey of self-discovery and seeing the world.

And self-discovery happens when you challenge, stretch, and expose yourself to different experiences.

And now that you have left home and are on your own, you have only yourself to rely on. You will now be facing the world in all its uncertainty and having to make decisive decisions.

Pat yourself on the back. You are walking into the unknown with courage, faith, and a belief in yourself.

This should be celebrated! Congratulations! You are doing something that most people will never do. This is a gift you are giving yourself.

And you did the most challenging part; you left home. Now it’s time to see the world and enjoy it. You are now on your journey.

2) Experiencing Different Cultures and Peoples

When you are born and raised in the same country you are from, you see the world through the mirror of that place—your home.

But there are around 193 countries in this world. And each country has its own heritage and culture. This means that you are seeing the world through the lens of 1/193rd of your own country’s point of view.

This is like trying to see and experience the entire world through the peephole of your front door. It’s very limited.

When you are backpacking internationally, you will expose yourself to many different cultures, experiences, and viewpoints you have never encountered before.

You will meet people who do things somewhat differently than how you do them.

This will sometimes challenge you. But these encounters will ask you to step out of your comfort zone and it will ask you to open your mind.

You don’t have to like all cultural differences, but you will encounter some that resonate with you.

The ones that speak to you can lead to a perception shift from your previously held viewpoints. And if you wish to, you can then adapt these new viewpoints into your own way of being.

And once this happens, you will see aspects of your life and the world differently.

And once this adaptation occurs, you will begin to transform into the person you are seeking to become.

When you look back later in life, you will realize that this adaptation happened for you only because you left home, put yourself into challenging positions, and opened yourself to new possibilities.

3) Experiencing Different Environments

Once you visit many different countries, including their towns and cities, you will experience many foreign elements. Everywhere you go, you will not recognize anything.

When you go to a store, you will see different brands and items than you have at home.

When trying to take public transportation, you will not know the process because it will be different than what you know from home.

When you are looking for a museum, hotel, restaurant, etc.… you will be somewhere where you don’t know the locations or directions.

All of these examples, and there are more, challenge you and push you to ask questions so that you can find your way. You will be asked to step out of your comfort zone again.

But once you do this over and over, and you succeed, you will begin to build self-confidence and resilience in facing uncharted foreign challenges.

You will increasingly believe in your abilities as you see yourself tackle different challenges that can arise from these various forms of experiences in these foreign places.

This is a fantastic way for you to discover that tough grit you have in you.

4) Other Backpackers, Making Friends

I stayed in hostels while traveling in South East Asia(SEA). I took advantage of the cheap accommodation that hostels can afford, especially in SEA, where everything is much cheaper.

I stayed in hostels for another reason too. I knew that this was a great way to meet people. I was traveling alone, so I knew I had to make an effort to meet others.

The other backpackers you meet during your trip will be a large part of your experience. You will meet people from all over the world traveling for various reasons. Some will travel just like you, while others will travel for reasons you never thought about.

But backpackers love to hang out together because they are going through a shared experience with each other.

Therefore, you will end up doing many things with one another. You will socialize together and visit cultural sights. You will go to cafes, restaurants, and bars with each other.

Some you will even travel with for a time.

You will also support each other and give advice about where you have been and what you have learned.

Other backpackers can give you invaluable tips, tricks, and suggestions.

And some you spend only a day with, some you spend multiple days or weeks with, and some you may see at different parts of your trips.

I ran into other backpackers I knew in different cities and countries during my journey.

Like in other situations in life, some backpackers will resonate more with you than others. Some will even become friends. I took my backpacking trip years ago and still talk to some friends I made from that trip. Some are in Europe, and some are in Asia.

The point is that you will make friends with people from all over the world.

You will now have an international group of people whom you know. And who knows what opportunities can come from that!

But during your trip, these people can and will provide you with loads of fun!

And they will be some of the fuel for your stories and memories for years to come.

5) Perception Shift and Self Discovery

There are small challenges that you encounter when traveling. Such as choosing what food to eat, the money exchange, shopping for products you need, etc…

Then there are the more significant challenges. Such as the language barrier and trying to communicate. What to do when you are lost. What to do when an emergency arises for you or others (this happens when you are on the road long enough. And you will have to figure out what to do, where to go, and find out what the process is for the situation you need help with).

I had my share of challenges on my trip. Here are some great ones:

• In Thailand, a dog took a bite at me, breaking my skin. Therefore I had to go to the hospital for rabies and tetanus shots.
• I was driving my motorbike in Vietnam. The first one broke down in the middle of nowhere. I had to figure that out. My second motorbike got a flat in the middle of nowhere. I had to figure that out.
• A Dutch girl I was hanging out with had an accident miles away from town, and we had to go to the hospital. We figured that out too.

All these different challenges were resolved, and things always ended up fine. I came home safe and sound, and so did the Dutch girl.

But all of these experiences ultimately lead me to see and feel differently about myself

Why? Because I saw that I could encounter great unknowns in foreign countries and figure them out. This gave me much greater self-confidence, toughness, and resilience.

And I took that home with me.

I felt myself walking taller and my back straighter.

And because of the success of that trip, afterward, I felt more emboldened to take on other new life challenges.

Basically, my self-perception changed. I saw myself differently, and others did too, especially after telling them about my travel tales.

This can happen to you too, which is why I am telling you this.

In Final

“To travel, to experience and learn: that is to live.” — Tenzing Norgay

As I said at the beginning of this article, this trip changed me. And it changed me for the better. Much better.

The trip allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, explore different cultures and environments, forge connections with fellow travelers, and undergo a shift in perception and self-discovery of myself and the world.

But one thing that it did for me that I am incredibly grateful for is that it helped me become a stronger man. Because this world is tough, and we need to be able to pull the best we can out of ourselves to be able to live in it.

And you know what is crazy?

This trip even went so far as to change my life plans. 3 years later, I moved to Vietnam and lived there from 2019–2021.

But that is a story for another time.

Listen, you don’t have to travel for months as I did, though I would suggest it if you could.

You can start small. Go for two weeks if you can. Even a 2-week trip can pack memorable and enlightening experiences. And if that trip is a success, the next trip can be 3 weeks, and so on.

The point is that you do it, and who knows where it can lead you, as it did for me.

Because I say this over and over to my friends and family, making this trip was one of the most amazing gifts I have ever given to myself.

I hope you find it in yourself to give yourself this gift too.