Things I learned from Living off a Backpack for months
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Towards the end of my Uni final semester, chaos set in as vacating our shared rental apartment came into the picture. Everyone was moving back home.
I, however, had commitments here in Bangalore. Intending to stay back when many went home, I was bound to shift my belongings from the flat I resided in — it was expensive for a single person.
I only needed a space for a couple of months before moving. Apartments and guest houses had a minimum of 6 months agreement.
Luckily, being the social person I am, I had friends who still held onto their apartments. Those who intended on working in Bangalore post their graduation. It was reasonable after all.
This became my last resort. Staying along with them. While the flat(s) I shifted to were comfortable — I daresay more than my own — I was still living off my backpack.
The Ugly: Reality of Living with People
Being used to the comforts of my own space before, it was easier said than done. For someone used to bathing in the same bathroom, I was pulling my toothbrush out of my bag’s front pockets every morning.
And if someone made a mess in the house, I hadn’t much say. Did I mention I like keeping things clean?
Don’t get me wrong, my friends are all nice. But when you actually live with those close ones, it’s a whole different story. A lot comes into play here — things you can freely express and things you can’t because they may sound stupidly trivial.
Why do you think there’s so much happening behind that ‘Happy Married Life’ phrase?
How often have you experienced how your friends live in their personal spaces? Let me tell you. If you actually stay with people, you’ll see some funny things, some ugly things, things that you’ll admire, and things that you will absolutely hate.
You’ll know what I’m talking about if you rent an apartment along with new-found roommates to save money.
My backpacking/homeless situation was similar. Except with the addition of shifting apartments monthly with different people. You’ll be just about to settle down when you have to move again.
The Bad: Acceptance
Everyone has their own routine. You tend to stick with those people that match yours or are at least compatible. The others, you’ll try to stay away from them.
Believe it or not, in the last few months, everybody seemed to be residing everywhere. Most had turned out like me, having no place to return to.
My lifestyle became so unpredictable in nature that there was nothing I saw good, bad, liked, or disliked. I saw things as they were.
I’d be woken up at 3 a.m. by a roommate smoking in the balcony, or a Shitzu standing on my chest. Nothing surprised me anymore.
Things seemed to happen and I acted accordingly if I could. Joined in if I was free. Went along if I needed some fresh air regardless of time and company.
I began to plan my days less. Everyday had its own improvisation and it wasn’t worth the effort to only shatter a painstaking schedule. I made simple plans and I went with it. If it didn’t work, no problem — it’ll come along sometime later, I thought.
If there was one significant thing I began to realize, it wasn’t frustration. It was my acceptance of everything.
The Good: It Changed Everything
All the things I mentioned that I faced, does anything ring a bell? You’ll see that in some way, this is most of what any budget solo backpacker comes across.
The problems may differ, but the impact on the person is the same. You become carefree. You’ve seen those backpackers in a place’s frame that has no place for them and yet they stroll with flip-flops without giving a damn.
Though it’s a shuddering thought, but I can imagine myself being that.
Towards the end of my stay, I visited Manali and then Bir Billing (the highest paragliding point in the Himalayas) in Himachal, some treks, and dozens of chic places in Bangalore, my own old hometown in northern Karnataka.
Towards the end, I flew to Vietnam with another backpacking itinerary before I returned to my parents in Indonesia.
Today, I find it amusing when my mom asks me what I’d like for lunch. Anything will do. Anything at all— I have no limitations.
