‘I just want to take a semester off and go backpacking’ is heard so often sometimes on college campuses that it almost sounds cliché. Parents frown and give re-hashed advice about growing up and being responsible, students turn on the news and see violence and danger all around the world, young women hear the phrase ‘but haven’t you seen Taken?’ so many times it makes them wonder if every foreigner is out to kidnap them, and yet somehow there’s still people out there doing it, all over the world. Mike Cavanaugh- a technical sophomore at Western- is one of those people. After his first year at WMU he decided to take a year off and go backpacking in South America, and four months later he’s still alive and well.
Mike: I picked South America and specifically Peru because of the pricing, the weather, the time of year I would be going, and because of how much Peru has to offer geographically.
I work full time in the summer and just decided to save that money for my trip rather than for school. I think when the trip is all said and done I will have spent almost as much on my equipment and plane ticket as I did on everything else during my entire five months traveling. I had no firm grip on what living would cost before leaving.
All I was basing my planning off of was the exchange rate for the country I was going to, and how much it would cost to stay at the hostel that I booked for when I would first be arriving. I went into the trip very open minded, knowing that I had plenty of money, a plane ticket home already paid for 5 months later, and the outlook that if I really wanted to stay, being a hobo anywhere in the world is dirt cheap. If you’re going on a vacation, or a short trip where you want to see a lot but don’t have a lot of time, planning can be considered important. But if you’re going to be somewhere for an extended period of time, I think it’s very important that you don’t over plan. I left for a 5 month trip with absolutely nothing planned or booked except for my first night in a hostel near the airport, and I’m very glad I did this. What you should do before leaving on an extended trip is research where you are going, but broadly. Become familiar with the geography, and maybe make a list of things you absolutely want to see- making sure no super advanced booking is necessary- but go no further.
My favorite part of traveling is how free it feels. I can make friends and join them in wherever they’re going if I want to. I can find a place I like and stay there for a month, forgetting the date all together.
One things that a lot of other backpackers don’t have that I’m glad I brought is my tent. I’m glad I brought it because it has saved me money countless times, and it’s good to know that if everything goes south at least you have somewhere to sleep. It might be kind of specific to Peru and my personal interests but I was able to avoid hiring a guide on many hikes I did in the Andes Mountains by bringing my own things, and several times when hostels had no empty beds I was able to pitch my tent for a discounted price. What you bring aside from basics like clothing and a travel guide book depends on where you are going and what you want to do. I bought and sold a guitar on this trip, and I also bought a surfboard that I plan on selling before leaving. Pack light. Bring things that you know you will use and leave questionable things behind, especially when you’re traveling somewhere where you can buy those questionable things for a fraction of the price of what they cost at home.
Safety is always something to practice when you’re going to a foreign country. Learn basics of the spoken language, don’t trust everyone, never leave your things out of reach, and especially when you’re traveling without a long term itinerary, keep family and friends updated, so someone knows where you are supposed to be at all times. But what’s as important as all this is having a good time. A lot of bad things associated with foreign countries are based off fear of the unknown. I grew up just outside Detroit, and I feel just fine pretty much anywhere in Detroit as long as I’m being smart and watching my own back. It’s the same pretty much anywhere in the world. The media makes everything scarier than it is in reality and as long as you keep your head on your shoulders, and use common sense you’ll be golden.