Appreciating the Little Things on My Backpacking Adventure

Traveling is an eye-opening experience. Being in a different location, away from home, will force you to see the world in a different light. As I have traveled from Nicaragua down to Panama, I have seen and experienced various styles of living. When you backpack, you have to forget about all of the comforts and luxuries that you may be accustomed to. By allowing yourself to leave your comfort zone and be open to living in a basic manner, you develop an appreciation for the little things would normally take for granted.

The beautiful thing about backpacking is the fact that everyone is dirty, sweaty, and tired from lugging around the bags they have been living out of for the past months. Therefore, nobody cares if your clothes are raggedy or your hair is a mess. Everyone just takes life one day at a time.

As you travel, you wake up with the sun and appreciate the lovely sunrises every morning. You appreciate the meals you eat after a long day of searching for a place to stay or figuring out the right buses to take. You appreciate a shower at the end of the day, even though the water will most likely be cold. You appreciate your bed and your room, even though you are likely sharing a room with six other people you have never met.

You also start to appreciate everything you have back home. You appreciate the “luxurious” things, like your air conditioned house and your clean bathroom. But you also appreciate the fact that you are where you are because of your fortunate circumstances. You are traveling. The fact that you have the time, the money, and the drive to see the world should not be taken for granted. As you encounter all the people that have never left their little town in Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, or whichever country you are in, you will realize how truly lucky you are.

You will also see that the only things that really matter are being happy and receiving love from the people around you. Backpacking teaches you to open your mind, slow down, and take in everything that is happening at the moment. Everything you see and do will teach you something new and you will learn to make the most of whatever happens.

Not every day will be easy and fun, but the hard days might provide you with the most valuable lessons of all. You will cross paths with so many different people and you will learn that kindness is the most valuable gift you can give or receive. As you start to appreciate the “little things” in life, all the rest will become unimportant. The smile from a stranger, the good meal when you’re hungry, the roof over your head, and the new experiences you encounter on a daily basis will become the most amazing things in the world.

Appreciating the Little Things on My Backpacking Adventure