9 of the Backpacker and Crazy Backpacking Stories – Travel Goals
Backpacker and crazy backpacking stories are my favorites when it comes to traveling. Traveling is a lot more than just exploring new places, it’s also about the life lessons and stories that you take home from your trip. In this article, I share with you 18 of my favorite crazy backpacking stories. Now, let’s go out there and experience the world!
Travel Experiences that Everyone Wants to Have Before the Age of 30
Backpacker and crazy backpacking stories are some interesting reading. Today, I present 18 of my favorite stories from backpacking around the world. Get ready for some crazy backpacking stories…
Traveling is a lot more than just exploring new places, it’s also about the life lessons and stories that you take home from your trip. In this article, I share with you 18 of my favorite things to do before heading off traveling:
Cruise by Boat Down
This true-life story is about my first backpacking trip to Europe when I was just 18 years old. I started in London and made my way down to Dover, England by train. From there, I took a ferry across the English Channel to Calais, France.
Once I arrived in Calais, I quickly realized that I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. With only a small backpack and a Eurail pass, I hit the streets of Paris completely clueless as to how I would make my way to Italy.
After wandering around for a few hours, I finally found a map and compass at a local tourist information office and made my way to the train station. In hindsight, this might not have been the smartest thing to do since I didn’t know how to use the map nor did I understand the difference between North, South, East, and West.
During my first ever train ride abroad, I ended up on a local commuter train headed in the wrong direction. To make matters worse, I was unable to find anyone who spoke English or German (the only other language that I could speak fluently at the time).
After another few hours of confusion and panic, when I finally got off in Calais for a second time… guess what happened… nothing! It turns out that when you get off a train platform in France, it’s not like getting off a subway in Germany where you have to swipe your way out with a ticket machine. In France, there was no gate or anything to stop me from just walking out onto the street.
So, after getting off the train for the third time in two days and wasting an entire day of my Eurail pass, I finally made my way to Italy. Moral of the story: always be prepared and do your research before embarking on a cross-country journey!
Hitchhike Across America
One of my favorite crazy backpacking stories is about my first time hitchhiking across America. I was fresh out of college and had just spent the summer traveling around Europe. I was young, naïve, and had no idea what I was doing.
When I arrived back in New York City, I decided that I wanted to travel across America. I had no car, no money, and no idea how to hitchhike. So, with that being said, I hit the streets of New York City with my thumb in the air…
The first few cars passed me by while everyone stared out their windows at the backpacker standing on the side of the road. Nowadays it’s not easy to get a ride across America so this was before cellphones existed where people could call friends about picking someone up on the road.
I must have looked extremely desperate standing there with my thumb stuck in the air for what seemed like hours until finally, someone stopped just long enough to ask me if I needed a ride somewhere.
Once I got into their car, it turned that this couple had been waiting for someone to hitch a ride with them for the past few hours. They were on their way from New York City to Los Angeles and were more than happy to have me join them.
This ended up being one of the best experiences of my life and I still keep in touch with them to this day. Moral of the story: never give up and be open to meeting new people while traveling!
Blistering Sahara Desert
One of my most memorable travel experiences was when I went on a camel safari through the Sahara Desert. It was blistering hot and I was baking under the relentless sun.
To make matters worse, our group got lost in the middle of the desert for hours on end. We were stranded with no food or water and there wasn’t a single shade tree to be found.
In hindsight, it was probably not the smartest idea to go on a camel safari through the Sahara Desert during the peak summer season. But, at the time, I was young and naïve and didn’t think twice about it.
To this day, I still can’t believe that we survived that trip without someone getting sunstroke and dying of dehydration.
After hours and hours of wandering around the desert, we finally found our way back to civilization just in time for dinner. Moral of the story: trust your guide and don’t go on unplanned camel safaris through the Sahara Desert during summer!
Watch the World Cup with Your Own Eyes
One of the best things about traveling is that you get to experience new cultures and meet new people.
Back in 2010, I was traveling through South America and had just arrived in Brazil a few days before the World Cup started.
I was meeting up with some friends in Rio de Janeiro and we were all so excited to watch the World Cup together.
Little did I know that, not only would I be watching the World Cup games with my own eyes, but I would also be right next to the players on the field!
It was an incredible experience to be able to watch the games up close and personal and it’s something that I’ll never forget. Moral of the story: always try to experience local events whenever you travel to a new country.
Volunteer in Africa
Traveling is about trying out new things and experiencing new places. But, what’s even better than traveling for the sake of traveling is giving back to communities that are less fortunate than us.
This past summer I volunteered at an orphanage in Uganda for two months during my trip around Africa. Although it was one of the hardest times in my life, it was also one of the most fulfilling experiences I could ever ask for!
During my time at the orphanage, I got to meet children from all walks of life who were extremely poor but happy at the same time. It was amazing getting to know these families and spending time with them. Volunteering gave me a greater sense of purpose in life.
Moral of the story: volunteer abroad for a life-changing experience!
Party in Las Vegas
Another unforgettable travel experience is when I partied in Las Vegas for an entire weekend.
Although I’m not exactly the biggest party animal, I had a great time letting loose and drinking heavily with my friends.
We stayed up all night clubbing and gambling in the casinos. I even managed to win $1,000 at the blackjack table – which I promptly lost back over the next few hours!
It was a wild weekend and one that I’ll never forget. Moral of the story: go crazy in Las Vegas at least once in your life!
Jumping Down from the Plane in Dubai
On my last trip to Dubai, I had the opportunity to skydive from 12,000 feet in the air.
It was one of the most adrenaline-pumping experiences I have ever had. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an extreme rush!
After jumping out of the plane, freefalling for a few minutes, and then opening my parachute, I landed safely on the ground. Albeit with a few scrapes and bruises.
But as a backpacker and crazy backpacking stories get in my way from time to time, it was all worth it in the end – it was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget. Moral of the story: if you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, go skydiving in Dubai!
Carry Your Backpack Around Europe
One of the best ways to see a new country is as a backpacker. it’s a great way to save money and see the country more authentically.
Back in 2009, I spent 3 months backpacking around Europe with my best friend. We hit up all the major tourist destinations (Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, etc.). However, we also ventured off the beaten path to explore some of the smaller villages and towns.
It was an incredible experience and one that I’ll never forget. Moral of the story: if you want to see as much of Europe as possible, backpack your way around!
Welcoming Mid-Autumn Festival in Thailand
No joke, one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had was in Thailand! This was when Mid-Autumn Festival just so happened to fall on my birthday.
I decided to visit Thailand for a week by myself and I didn’t do much planning before arriving there. So it came as quite a surprise when I popped into a local restaurant and they were preparing for an upcoming festival that night. Coincidently this just happened to be during my birthday!
After spending some time hanging out with the locals who were celebrating the festival, we went out clubbing at one of Phuket’s famous beach clubs. As a backpacker and crazy backpacking stories are my thing, it was quite an unforgettable aswel as a crazy experience and one that felt like it was straight out of a movie! Moral of the story: if you’re in Thailand during Mid-Autumn Festival, be sure to join in on the celebrations!
Snorkeling with Sea Turtles in Hawaii
One of the most beautiful places I have ever had the opportunity to snorkel was off the coast of Hawaii.
I was on a family vacation there a few years back. We took a day trip out to snorkel with some sea turtles. It was an incredible experience. The water was so clear and I got to see these majestic creatures up close and personal.
It was a highlight of my trip and something that I’ll never forget. Moral of the story: if you’re looking for an amazing snorkeling experience, head to Hawaii!
Lessons from “A Backpacker and Crazy Backpacking Stories”
The moral of every trip will stay with me forever, Further, I feel like everyone should travel as much as they possibly can.
Traveling instills a new perspective on life, teaches you how to be more flexible and adaptable. Moreover it helps you become a better person.
After all these crazy backpacking trips, I know that as a Backpacker and crazy backpacking stories throughout my life, there’s nothing else in the world that I would rather be doing! So get out of your comfort zone and start traveling today – it will change your life for the better.
Conclusion
To conclude with this article, I want to urge everyone who reads it to start traveling, because life is about experiences. We all need them to become better people and develop character.
I believe that I am a great Backpacker and crazy backpacking stories around the world is the best way to explore new countries and cultures. However, if not you can still do some research on places you’d like to visit or maybe even take a road trip with your friends? What more can you do with a buddy is to try out kayaking in the forest. If you are clueless about where to plan your next trip, check out these places in America that are worth a visit.
The bottom line is that there’s no excuse not to travel. It will broaden your horizons, teach you new things and give you memories that will last a lifetime. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and explore the world!
