I am the eternal traveller! The thought of packing my backpack, hopping on a plane, jumping into a car or setting off on foot; and heading to a known or unknown destination gets my heart racing, my lips smiling and me singing a happy tune.
At any hint of a suggestion of travelling – a day, a weekend or months – I am always ready and willing. Just writing about it takes my body on a thrilling rollercoaster ride. And my heart jumps up and down shouting ‘yes, yes, yes’.
Before my next trip, I have been thinking about replacing my backpack. It is old, it is bulky and it is starting to come apart at some of the seams. It has already been repaired a few times. But most of all, it is big at 75 liters. The thought of a smaller, more compact backpack with a modern design means I will be forced to pack less. I will be able to enjoy carrying a lighter load. Travelling will be so much easier.
I know I can do this. I have already done this. Along the Camino de Santiago in Spain I only took what I needed. I managed to pack a little over 12 kgs into an oversized daypack. Of course I did, I had to carry it for 35 days hiking over 800 kms!
I have spent some time shopping around for a new backpack. I have looked, touched and even tried on a few. While I was doing all of this, I started thinking about all of the trips I have taken with my old backpack.
It’s been my only backpack. I bought her over 19 years ago for my first trip to Europe. Since then she has been everywhere with me, through thick and thin, and she still keeps going. She has not only carried my things around, but she has also shared my travels with me.
I have a dream. I hope to touch each continent. A little overboard, I know.
I have only one continent left to explore and I feel my old backpack should be on that journey with me too. She deserves to see Antarctica as much as I desire to.
I want to look at her and remember everywhere we have been together. I want to plan our trip to Antarctica together. I want to know that my faithful travel companion is by my side.
So for now, I have stopped looking for the ‘perfect’, new backpack. I am happy with my backpack just as she is – full of memories and history. She is my perfect travel companion. Well, perhaps I will try to repair her again.
And I will really have to get better at packing less!
laughter, Delicia 🙂
Hi D. Thanks for sharing some of the forgotten details of your life and travels with us. I will keep watching this space and comment occasionally, 1 apple to another!
Glad to have you along 🙂
I’ve got the exact same backpack … how funny … what’s the chance!?
Amazing!! Exactly, what’s the chance? Nice to have you along on the journey. xo
Hi Delicia, thanks for sharing your backpack, strong and really big. I agree, you should keep her, is good to have an old friend close to us when we are far away home.
Dear Elizabeth, yes it is big and sometimes it feels a little too big. I try to travel lightly (there is another photo of her ;)) now, where as before I thought I had to take everything along; and the kitchen sink too. Laugh! How times have changed, or how I have changed. She is a wonderful friend like you said, so I will keep her close.