Why I Chose a Backpack Over a Career: A Journey of Letting Go
The Planting of the Seed
I was exposed to the world of travel from a young age. Before I even turned 1 year old, I crossed the ocean to South Africa, where I very nearly lost my right thumb (a story for another time). My mum was a travel agent for most of my childhood and was always sending people all over the world. My life was uprooted and moved to a new town in Australia at least every 3 years throughout my childhood. My step-mum is from Botswana in Africa, which we visited when I was around 13 years old. This opened my eyes to the sheer size and diversity of the world, and began to make me question things I had always known to be fact.
Moving from place to place, I witnessed people being born, living, and dying in the same town with the same beliefs. There is nothing wrong with this, but I always felt like there had to be more to my life.
The Breaking Point
Towards the end of high school, everyone was figuring out what to do next. In Australia, young people are often pressured to go to university and study to get a “better job”. I didn’t know what else to do, so I studied my passion, music, and later started my Master’s of teaching to become a music teacher. After my first placement in a school, I became terrified of how things were panning out. Several other areas of my life were falling apart at the same time. I reached the breaking point mentally, emotionally, and physically, developing severe health anxiety and gut problems. I had so many emotions and thoughts that I was not processing and letting go of, that my whole body became blocked up, resulting with me in the hospital. After waiting between 6 and 13 hours, the nurse told me, “Henry, you are full of shit, you need to go and drink some prune juice”. My physical health was clearly a mirror of my mental state. It was time to pivot, change my ways, and begin my journey of discovery and self-improvement.
This is when I decided to stop studying, sell most of my belongings, and travel the Americas.
The Identity Death
Up until that point, my personality was based around being a musician, smoking too much weed, and being the life of the party. The thought of being the stoner high school music teacher scared me. Whilst I knew music would always be a part of my life, I didn’t want it to be my whole personality. Going to a new country was an opportunity to rebuild and shape the man I knew I could be, which I am still working on as I write this.
The Definition of "Success"
In my old life, success was making it to payday, passing another assignment, or finding some pot to smoke and snacks to eat. Now, a successful day looks like getting through a conversation with a local in Spanish or Portuguese, sharing content that can help someone, landing a job creating for a business, nourishing my body with good food, finding peace and stillness through meditation, hiking somewhere for a beautiful view, or swimming in a stunning beach or lake. It looks like learning a new skill or perspective, and growing as a person.
The Burden of Belongings
A career often requires “stuff” (a car, a suit, an apartment). A backpack requires you to choose exactly what is worth carrying on your shoulders.
When I left on my first trip, I had a huge 110L bag. I thought I wouldn’t be able to fit everything into a small carry-on bag. I soon realised I didn’t need half of the things I was carrying. As a form of self-punishment, I would often carry all my things for kilometres, telling myself, “You wanted all this stuff,l now you can carry it…” (and because I could save a few dollars on Uber).
On the second trip, I cut my bag size by more than half, down to 38L. Again, I tried to live without a guitar, which didn’t last long because hostel guitars leave something to be desired. Having such a small bag makes you really think about what you need and what you don’t. I used this lesson as a metaphor in life as well: “What am I unnecessarily carrying around? What is weighing me down?”
The "Grounded" Paradox
Between my first and second trip, I supported people with disabilities. It was my most fulfilling and enjoyable job yet. I was helping people, the hours were flexible, I didn’t have to stare at a screen all day, and I wasn’t destroying my body or playing the same songs to drunk people night after night. It paid well, and it taught me some really valuable lessons about gratitude and patience. This was a stable job that people are happy to do for a long time. But after a year, I still felt unsettled, like there was more for me to learn abroad and that my path would lead me somewhere else.
The Message
I’m not saying that everyone should or needs to go travel, but if you feel called, take the leap of faith. I know not everyone has the freedom to quit their job and go travelling, but everyone has the potential to summon the courage to choose a different path. One that aligns with their values and gives them more fulfillment. Whether it be taking up that new hobby, starting that side business, joining the gym, applying for that new job, or starting therapy. Take the leap of faith.