Matador Network's Blog, page 2170

48 ways traveling is like sex

Photo: Darian Wong

1. Sometimes a free breakfast is involved.

2. No matter what, there’s usually some baggage.

3. It can drive you crazy if you haven’t done it in a while.

4. It always leaves you wanting more.

5. There are times when you like doing it with other people. But there are also times when it feels way better doing it alone.

6. Sometimes you set your sights so high that you’re disappointed in the end. Other times, you have low expectations and experience something totally unexpected.

7. There are people who abstain from it. And you don’t understand why.

8. It has a distinct smell.

9. You know people who have done it more than you. You also know people who have not done it as much as you have.

10. Your entire personality changes during the course of the event.

11. It can be used as an escape, or to fill a void.

12. You can get a disease if you’re not careful.

13. If you’re good at it, you’ll do it a lot more.

14. Sometimes, you’re unsure of whether or not to do it, or whether or not it’s the right thing to do right now.

15. You definitely dream about doing it at the office.

16. You can do it more than once. You can do it all day, every day, if you really wanted to.

17. It’s completely natural.

18. Some people like to photograph it, or take videos.

19. Sometimes it’s for business. But mostly, it’s for pleasure.

20. You know the best places to find it on the web.

21. You can make a career out of it.

22. You need to use protection if it’s a risky situation.

23. Most people do it between the ages of 18 and 65, but some are younger and some are older.

24. The most popular time to do it is during the summer.

25. You can pick up good tips in a guidebook.

26. Trying something new for the first time is both exciting and scary, but you’re always happy to have done it afterwards.

27. Some people do it after careful planning. Other people are spontaneous about it.

28. You can do it on a train, a plane, in a car, on a boat…

29. Sometimes you leave stuff behind, like your underwear, or your phone charger.

30. It makes you feel really fucking good.

31. Your friends who haven’t done it might not “get” why you did it first. They might even be jealous. But they’ll do it eventually.

32. You can do it with strangers or people you know.

33. There are all kinds of different ways to do it — with a man, with a woman, with a group of people, or by yourself.

34. Sometimes, it’s horrible. I mean awkward, unsatisfying, sloppy, and overall not memorable.

35. It’s good for relieving stress.

36. Sometimes you wake up and are like, “Where the hell am I?”

37. It can take a long time.

38. There’s usually a bed, but sometimes there’s a couch involved.

39. Lots of people like to stay in hotels while doing it.

40. It can be addicting.

41. Even a bad experience can be better than no experience.

42. Finding people to do it with is sometimes tough.

43. Sometimes you get it for free; other times you pay too much for it.

44. Sometimes you leave a mess behind. And then there are times when you need to take a shower right after.

45. People sometimes come to you for advice about it.

46. It’s not always a good idea to do it with your best friend.

47. It can be exhausting.

48. You never forget your first time.

10 ways you’re making your life harder than it has to be

Photo: Gisela Giardino

1. You ascribe intent.

Another driver cut you off. Your friend never texted you back. Your co-worker went to lunch without you. Everyone can find a reason to be offended on a steady basis. So what caused you to be offended? You assigned bad intent to these otherwise innocuous actions. You took it as a personal affront, a slap in the face.

Happy people do not do this. They don’t take things personally. They don’t ascribe intent to the unintentional actions of others.

2. You’re the star of your own movie.

It is little wonder that you believe the world revolves around you. After all, you have been at the very center of every experience you have ever had.

You are the star of your own movie. You wrote the script. You know how you want it to unfold. You even know how you want it to end.

Unfortunately you forgot to give your script to anyone else. As a result, people are unaware of the role they are supposed to play. Then, when they screw up their lines, or fail to fall in love with you or don’t give you a promotion, your movie is ruined.

Lose your script. Let someone else star once in awhile. Welcome new characters. Embrace plot twists.

3. You fast forward to apocalypse.

I have a bad habit of fast forwarding everything to its worst possible outcome and being pleasantly surprised when the result is marginally better than utter disaster or jail time. My mind unnecessarily wrestles with events that aren’t even remotely likely. My sore throat is cancer. My lost driver’s license fell into the hands of an al-Qaeda operative who will wipe out my savings account.

Negativity only breeds more negativity. It is a happiness riptide. It will carry you away from shore and if you don’t swim away from it, will pull you under.

4. You have unrealistic and / or uncommunicated expectations.

Among the many shortcomings of your family and friends is the harsh reality that they cannot read your mind or anticipate your whims.

Did your boyfriend forget the six and a half month anniversary of your first movie date? Did your girlfriend refuse to call at an appointed hour? Did your friend fail to fawn over your tribal tattoo?

Unmet expectations will be at the root of most of your unhappiness in life. Minimize your expectations, maximize your joy.

5. You are waiting for a sign.

I have a friend who won’t make a decision without receiving a “sign.” I suppose she is waiting on a trumpeted announcement from God. She is constantly paralyzed by a divinity that is either heavily obscured or frustratingly tardy. I’m not disavowing that fate or a higher power plays a role in our lives. I’m just saying that it is better to help shape fate than be governed by it.

6. You don’t take risks.

Two words: Live boldly. Every single time you are offered a choice that involves greater risk, take it. You will lose on many of them but when you add them up at the end of your life, you’ll be glad you did.

7. You constantly compare your life to others.

A few years ago I was invited to a nice party at a big warehouse downtown. I was enjoying the smooth jazz, box wine, and crustless sandwiches. What more could a guy want? Later in the evening I noticed a steady parade of well-heeled people slide past and disappear into another room. I peeked and saw a large party with beautiful revelers dancing and carrying on like Bacchus. Suddenly my gig wasn’t as fun as it had been all because it didn’t appear to measure up to the party next door — a party I didn’t even know existed until just moments before.

I do this frequently. Those people are having more fun. Mary has a bigger boat. Craig gets all the lucky breaks. Ted has more money. John is better looking.

Stop it.

Always remember what Teddy Roosevelt said: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

8. You let other people steal from you.

If you had a million dollars in cash under your mattress, you would check it regularly and take precautions to insure it is safe. The one possession you have that is more important than money is time. But you don’t do anything to protect it. In fact you willingly give it to thieves. Selfish people, egotistical people, negative people, people who won’t shut up. Treat your time like Fort Knox. Guard it closely and give it only to those who deserve and respect it.

9. You can’t / won’t let go.

These are getting a little harder aren’t they? That’s because sometimes you have to work at happiness. Some hurdles are too difficult to clear by simply adjusting your point of view or adopting a positive mindset.

Do you need to forgive someone? Do you need to turn your back on a failed relationship? Do you need to come to terms with the death of a loved one?

Life is full of loss. But, in a sense, real happiness would not be possible without it. It helps us appreciate and savor the things that really matter. It helps us grow. It can help us help others grow.

Closure is a word for people who have never really suffered. There’s no such thing. Just try to “manage” your loss. Put it in perspective. You will always have some regret and doubt about your loss. You may always second guess yourself. If only you had said this, or tried that.

You’re not alone. Find someone who understands and talk to that person. Reach out for support. If all else fails, try #10 below.

10. You don’t give back.

One way to deal with loss is to immerse yourself in doing good. Volunteer. Get involved in life.

It doesn’t even have to be a big, structured thing. Say a kind word. Encourage someone. Pay a visit to someone who is alone. Get away from your self-absorption.

When it comes down to it, there are two types of people in this world. There are givers and there are takers. Givers are happy. Takers are miserable. What are you?

This post was originally published at Thought Catalog, and is reprinted here with permission.

Be thankful that places like Fiji’s “Grand Canyon” and forward-thinking people still exist

I recently came across this video of the “River of Eden” in Fiji, which is the only protected watershed in the entire South Pacific. Take a minute to appreciate the story of this place and people, from Filmmaker Peter McBride, on “why the locals said no to easy money from resource extraction, and how they turned to tourism to fund a conservation area that protects one of the most beautiful rivers on Earth.” Win.

This snowboarding video is epic

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It’s about the connection to the mountains — not the competitions, not the sponsors, not the gear, not even the sick lines — says pro snowboarder Will Jackways in this short film.

Amen, brother.

Follow the stoke and find happiness. It’s not all that difficult, really; and you don’t have to be a professional athlete — your stoke can be anything. Find it, follow it, live it, share it.

Introducing the #Travelstoke World Map: Create yours today!

YOU’VE TRAVELED THE WORLD — now show the world where you’ve traveled! Matador is proud to introduce a rad new addition to your global experience: the #Travelstoke World Map. Our team has had a blast developing and testing it, and now we want YOU to be the first people on the Internet to create your own travel maps!

It’s super easy to get started: click on the image above, or this link to build your own map. Tick off the different countries you’ve visited, or hover over them to test your geography skills. Once you’re done, it’s easy to share your travels with friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. We’re betting they will be inspired by seeing all the places you’ve gone, and want to create their own!

American travelers are thankful for

Photo: uneasylies

Happy Thanksgiving, American travelers! In the spirit of our country’s most gracious and delicious holiday, we’ve put together a list of some of the things American travelers have to be grateful for.

American passports

You can go pretty much anywhere on an American passport. Sure, Cuba and North Korea are tough to get to, and some countries make you pay hefty fees and jump through hoops, but you can still get pretty much anywhere in the world with an American passport. As of last year, you could get to 172 countries on an US passport. Only three countries can beat that (The UK, Finland, and Sweden, all of which have visa-free access to 173 countries).

Travelers in many countries in Africa and Asia have a much harder time getting around the world. Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and the Sudan can only get to 38 countries without a visa, while Iraq and Afghanistan have a dismal 31 and 28 respectively. So the next time you’re sitting in a customs line, annoyed at the wait, just remember: the world is your oyster as an American, and if the accident of where you were born had turned out differently, you could have a lot fewer travel options.

The age of the loud, clueless American traveler is over.

That story you heard about only 10% of Americans having passports? Not true! Nearly a third of American citizens now have passports, which is impressive when you consider how much further most of us have to travel to get to another country compared to, say, Europeans.

And the quality of our travelers is improving. No longer are we considered the most obnoxious tourists (the French, Brits, and Russians have beaten us in various polls), while the number of our students studying abroad is increasing. Our recent college grads are making travel a priority, too. Welcome to the Golden Age of American travel!

21st-century travel options

Ibn Battuta, one of the greatest travelers of all time, traveled from his home in Morocco to China and then back. In the 14th century, this took him 24 years. Now, in the 21st, you could do that trip in a total of about 26 hours, if you spent all your time on a plane. Not that you’d want to.

Battuta’s travels were impressive for any time, but if we wanted to trace his route, we could do it way faster, and we could avoid stuff like the Black Plague and blisters. The globalized world seems to have been made for travelers: this is the first century where, at the start of it, pretty much any place on the face of earth that was above water, had already been discovered, and most of those places you can get to in a matter of days.

The US may not have the best train system in the world, but it does have the best aviation system in the world, and is home to over 15,000 airports. Recent years have also seen an increase in budget airlines. So our travel may not be the most comfortable, but it’s certainly easy and dirt-cheap.

The internet

God, what hasn’t the internet given us? We can thank the internet for cheap flights, travel blogging, democratized deal hunting, forums where you can share tips with other travelers, and the ability to communicate quickly, cheaply, and easily with family and friends on the other side of the world.

And I personally have the internet to thank for my employer. Thanks, internet, for Matador!

The rise of green travel (with WiFi!)

More and more environmentally friendly travel options are becoming available as the world starts to recognize the dangers of unlimited carbon emissions, which is good news for travelers, considering how bad planes are in terms of emissions.

This means more trains and electric cars, hopefully, but the Union of Concerned Scientists reports that the greenest method of travel is motorcoaches like BoltBus and Megabus. They’re super cheap and they offer free WiFi.

Low gas prices

Okay, so low is a relative term, but in comparison to years past, a gallon of gas costing under $3 is an amazing holiday treat. Is it going to last? Certainly not. Are we still spiraling toward climate change and global catastrophe? Sadly, yes. But this holiday season, the poor budget travelers among us will get to make affordable road trips home to our friends and family. And for that much we have a lot to be thankful for.

The de-suckification of amateur travel photography

Sure, not everyone’s producing NatGeo quality work, but with the ubiquity of smartphones and the improvement of digital-camera technology, everyone at least has the option of taking some really incredible pictures and then, thanks to the internet, sharing them with the world. Don’t believe me? Go to Instagram. Go to Pinterest. Go to Flickr. Some of the amateur stuff out there — stuff that’ll never end up in a publication — is pretty amazing.

Amateur photography has seriously risen in terms of quality in the last few years. And that’s not even considering the incredible stuff we’ve been getting from GoPro and drone enthusiasts. Gone are the days of being forced to watch shitty carousel slideshows of people’s trip to Europe: now, you can post the photos online, and anyone who wants to look at them can look at them.

Special thanks to Matador Community members Paige Ashley Smith, Jennifer Melroy, Katka Lapelosova, and Jill Kozak for helping this curmudgeonly writer come up with more things to be grateful for.

Slang phrases Boston gave the USA

Photo: nerdcoregirl

1. Wicked pissa

As in: “Ya new cah’s wicked pissa!”

Even though it sounds like your friend is insulting you, this is the height of compliments in Boston. It means your car is awesome.

2. Skeezah, tool, igit

Bostonians have created a myriad of insulting words for their friends. These ones roughly mean drug addict, asshole, and idiot.

3. Bang

Another casually aggressive Boston term, it means ‘to turn’. As in: “Bang a U-ie up heah, and use ya blinkah!”

4. Pahlah

Refers to the parlor, or living room, of the house. This is where the family typically gathers for social activity.

5. Down the Cape

This refers to Cape Cod, the most popular place to hang out in the summer. You cannot go “up the Cape” because it doesn’t exist.

6. Dunkies

As in Dunkin’ Donuts, the best coffee around. I’ll take a lahge regulah.

7. Spa

A pizza, sandwich, and convenience store all rolled into one. A true Bostonian might suggest that you “get suppah at Town Spa.”

8. Badadoes

No, your friend didn’t just have a stroke. Badadoes means “potatoes” in Boston speak.

9. No suh!

An expression of complete disbelief. The correct response is always “Yes suh!”

10. So don’t I!

Another semi-nonsensical phrase, this one means “me too.”

11. Rippah

Kegger, huge party. Something you don’t want to miss.

12. The Hub (never Beantown)

This description of Boston — “The hub of the solar system” — was coined by Oliver Wendell Holmes in the 19th century. With characteristic flair, Bostonians quickly modified this to “The hub of the universe.” I don’t think anyone knows where “Beantown” came from, but we’re not into it.

What baristas think of your order

Photo: Jesús Gorriti

You say you’re just there for the caffeine buzz, but we all know that your coffee order is the dark window to your soul. Here’s what baristas really think of your drink.

“Skinny” lattes — You live in your yoga pants, and spend way too much time on Pinterest.

Frappuccino before 8am — You’re probably on your way to your first grown-up job, wearing real shoes and pants with no spandex. Good job upgrading to adult so far. Now it’s time to switch to a respectable morning beverage.

Something off the “secret menu” — You are a 14-year-old girl with an iPhone 6 and Tory Burch shoes. Did Snapchat put you up to this?

Eggnog latte — You are a hot mess. You’re going to be the most-wasted at your company’s Christmas party.

Nonfat eggnog latte – You know this is like ordering a Super Sized Big Mac combo meal with a Diet Coke, right?

Cappuccino — You studied abroad in Italy, but didn’t actually learn anything from your experience.

More like this What bartenders actually think of your drink order

Black tea — You probably studied abroad in the UK and/or have a giant crush on Benedict Cumberbatch.

Green tea frappuccino — You studied abroad in Japan, and eat sushi and watch anime porn (probably).

Soy latte — You’re super earthy, and probably a vegan. Bonus points if you brought your own cup and ask for grounds for your garden.

Latte, no foam — You’re high maintenance. You will definitely send this back at least once.

Dark roast, black — That’s sexy.

Americano — *in Ron Burgundy voice* “Hey everyone! Look how sophisticated I am!”

Shot of espresso — You’re easygoing, low maintenance. Unless you knock that shit back like a shot. You were super pissed when the original Four Loko was taken off the market.

Green tea with honey — You can afford to buy all of your clothes from ModCloth, so why the fuck did you order the cheapest thing on the menu? Probably because you buy all of your clothes from ModCloth.

Espresso con panna — Are you a barista? Nobody actually orders this.

Latte with sugar-free syrup and soy milk — You think this is healthy. It is not.

Iced coffee, black — You’re super chill.

Redeye (coffee with one shot of espresso) — You had a rough night last night.

Blackeye (coffee with two shots of espresso) — You have a problem.

Two shots of espresso in a large cup of ice — You think you’re so clever, but I’m on to you. Asshole.

Smoothie — You just ran eight miles. I’d be more impressed if I wasn’t dying inside from the nasty, sweaty $5 bill you just paid with.

Mocha – You didn’t know what else to order (even though you looked at the menu for like 10 minutes while at the register, holding up the line).

Chai latte — You are on your way to yoga. At 6:30 in the morning.

Caramel frappuccino with extra whip and extra drizzle — You make poor life choices.

Pumpkin spice latte, in August — Please, tell me more about how excited you are for sweater weather.

Soy eggnog latte — Oh gawwwd. You are going to act really defensive when I tell you that the eggnog has dairy in it.

Other seasonal latte — You are most definitely going to Instagram this. I am going to spell your name wrong on purpose. #sorrynotsorry

Espresso macchiato — You are either super cool, or really annoying. There’s really no in-between.

Triple grande half-caf two-pump vanilla two-pump hazelnut half-soy half-nonfat 1.5 splenda latte — Let me guess, they always get it right at the OTHER coffee shop, don’t they?

How to understand Mexican women

Photo: Rulo Luna Ramos

1. They are always in the middle of some strange ritual.

Tradition is stronger than anything and it has helped us preserve some interesting habits. People say they don’t really believe in this stuff, but keep doing it anyway.

Examples? Pregnant women wear a little red ribbon or a safety pin attached to their underwear whenever there’s a lunar eclipse to defend their unborn child from astronomical maleficence. Women also tend to have an overstock on red and yellow panties that reflect their wishes for true love or money for the New Year (depending on the current necessity). And there are some others who buy an image or figurine of Saint Anthony of Padua, put him on an altar with some candles, and place it upside down until the day the miracle happens and they find true love. Yep, that’s actually extorting a saint!

2. They all have this peculiar relationship with their moms.

The psychological scars as a result of being raised by Mexican mothers are surely inside everyone of us, but that doesn’t mean we cannot have a functional relationship with them as grown ups. As a matter of fact, Mexican men and women develop a strong attachment to their mothers and families, but the relationship is quite different for sons and daughters.

The relationship between mother and daughter transitions between absolute love and absolute hate with relative ease. The closer they are, the stronger these transitions become and it’s quite common to misinterpret the complexity of their bond based on a discreet observation. Think about them as best friends who occasionally have little misunderstandings…scary and dramatic misunderstandings.

3. They have some serious makeup skills.

There’s not a single pattern regarding the amount of makeup Mexican girls wear. Something between discrete and moderate suits most, but downright clownish style is a common sight during morning commutes.

What these women do share in common are their advanced skills in everything makeup. From the masterful use of a teaspoon for eyelash curling to the amazing ability to draw a perfect eyeliner line during a bumpy bus ride, Mexican women know makeup.

I’d also like to recognise the patience of those women who transform each of their fingernails into tiny masterpieces, even if most of the time they end up looking like miniature wedding cakes.

4. They’re really knowledgeable about healthy living.

And I’m not referring to that issue we Mexicans have with self-prescription. Mexican women are the best when it comes to home remedies: honey lemon tea or mullein for a cold, chamomile to ease up stomach pain and help you sleep, valerian to calm your nerves, and some aloe for anything else. Nothing withstands the power of teas and herbal infusions.

They are also familiar with every possible kind of weight-reduction plan. The moon diet, the grapefruit diet, the apple diet, the just-a-random-amount-of-time diet — you name it, they’ve probably tried it.

5. They’re quite passionate…and that’s a double-edged sword.

Under normal circumstances they tend to be the most loving, caring, and affectionate women in the whole world. Anyone who has or has had a Mexican girlfriend knows that their displays of affection can be stifling, which is actually good. C’mon, who doesn’t like to be asphyxiated by love and affection? Mexican girls have every attribute anyone would want…until they get mad at you, of course.

Passion is just another way of saying quick tempered. Sooner or later you’ll discover there’s a dark side that lurks behind those pretty eyes.

6. They know how to party and they party hard.

If Mexican women could be defined in one word, that word would be cheerful. They are friendly, outgoing, loud, and always in the mood for some good fun. Girls in Mexico will dance the night away given the opportunity and opportunities abound!

7. You know what they say about Mexicans always being late?

I’ll not blame Mexican women for the entirety of these stereotype, but they do share a big part of the guilt with some of their habits. For instance, there is a big difference for them between being ready to go out and actually being capable of doing so. When a Mexican girl tells you she’s all set, she’s only acknowledging your patience. If she hasn’t decided which shoes she’s wearing or hasn’t picked up her ever-faithful handbag, she’s far from ready.

8. Neither delicate nor frail are words that suit them.

Mexican women have been historically recognized for their strong temperament and rebelliousness. Living in a society with strong gender problems has influenced the character of Mexican women; they’re assertive and never afraid to express themselves freely, and those are two reasons why you don’t want a Mexican girl as an enemy.

10 signs you're a backpacker newbie

Photo: Daniel Foster

1. You packed so much you can barely get your bag onto your back.

The first week you feel so proud of yourself for miraculously managing to fit 90% of your house into your bag, and you feel bad for those deprived backpackers carrying just a few belongings in small backpacks.

That’s cute. Week two? You’ll be cursing every time you have to look at your stupid bag once you realize that: a) you’ll end up wearing the same t-shirt every day, so why the hell you thought you needed to pack 16 shirts is beyond even you at this point, b) you don’t have a centimeter of room in which to fit a snack or a single tiny souvenir, and c) you struggle, embarrassed, for five minutes every time you try to lift your bag onto your back before you finally give up and need to ask a friend, doorman, bus attendant, taxi driver, or total stranger for help hoisting the beast up onto you.

(Meanwhile, please know that those ‘deprived’ travelers with small backpacks and few belongings are standing by, smirking, and getting great amusement out of the show…)

2. Your itinerary is jam-packed.

Trying to see 13 countries during a one-month trip is going to leave your head spinning. Being overly ambitious about how much ground you can cover on your first trip is a common mistake. If you move from place to place every day or two, it will feel as though all of your time is spent in transit, and all the places you see will most likely blur together.

Think quality of experience instead of quantity. You’re traveling to see new places, ideas, and cultures…not to check off to-do lists and anxiously collect as many passport stamps as possible so you can feel cool.

3. You get really angry when things go wrong.

Things will go wrong. Count on it. The ‘VIP’ bus you bought tickets for in Peru ends up being a gutted minivan with no brakes, and you end up sitting next to a smelly man carrying a baby llama. The Laotian road is closed for some unknown reason and no one has a clue when it will re-open. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. Your wallet gets stolen in Paris and you have no way to pay for your hostel or your next meal. You get your heart broken when the hot Brazilian’s spouse (who you didn’t know existed) walks in. You get malaria in Mozambique.

Good for you. You now have travel stories. Who the hell wants to hear about the time you went on a trip and everything went flawlessly? You know you’ll laugh about these things later. Do yourself and everyone around you a favor — get a head start and start laughing now. And don’t be an ungrateful bastard — remember, no matter what happens, to be thankful that you’re traveling and not somewhere in some soul-sucking cubicle job you hate.

4. You didn’t bother buying travel insurance.

Please refer back to point #3. Count on things going wrong. It’s all fun and games when it just means you miss a bus or something. But when you end up with broken bones on the side of the road and the ambulance won’t pick you up until you can prove that you can pay the huge hospital bill (which, let’s face it, you can’t), you’ll wish you had travel insurance. Just saying.

5. You put a lot of effort into chasing the ‘best’ season.

Experienced backpackers travel off peak season, knowing they’ll have a better choice of available accommodation, lower prices, more haggling power (meaning you can travel for longer on the little money you probably have), and fewer crowds to deal with.

6. You packed for hardcore wilderness travel but are backpacking through cosmopolitan Europe.

Once you decide you’re going backpacking, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of it all. You’ll wander around outdoor shops eyeing expensive, massive first aid and sewing kits, down sleeping bags that cost more than your monthly rent at home, water purifiers, and loads of things that will most likely never, ever leave the deepest, darkest corners of your backpack.

Let’s get real…we all know your ass is more likely going to end up in a hostel or crashed on someone’s couch, that you’ll buy bottled water when you’re thirsty, and that owning a sewing kit does not magically mean you’ll know how to sew if something rips. Save your money and splurge on a nice hotel one night on the road — trust me, there will come a moment on the road when you consider a real bed and hot water as the only ‘survival’ necessity you need.

7. You find yourself stuck without money.

And not just because you’re poor and didn’t budget well. Experienced backpackers know that wallets get stolen. ATM machines eat debit cards. Traveler’s checks are not accepted in a lot of places — nor are credit cards, for that matter, once you get off the well-beaten tourist track. Have a backup source of money. And a backup to your backup.

8. You spend all of your time stuck like glue to other backpackers.

Chatting with other backpackers on the road is fun, and you can meet some great people. Sometimes just being able to effortlessly speak with someone in a common language is refreshing. But many experienced backpackers know the worth of having real conversations and interactions with local people. If you wanted to hang out with a bunch of people that look like you and talk like you, you should have saved yourself a lot of money and effort and just stayed home. Learn. Connect. Grow. One of the best ways to do that on the road is to get out of your comfort zone and interact with locals.

9. You majorly screwed up when budgeting.

When backpacking, there are more things you’ll spend money on than just accommodation and food. You thought you were smart and set up Couchsurfing throughout the trip — that’s great. What happens when you get into town and receive a message that something came up and you can’t be hosted that night? Or when you whip out the map and find that your ‘free’ place to crash can only be reached by a $50 cab ride?

If you lose your passport, do you have money to transport yourself to the nearest embassy? Did you budget for internet use in places that don’t have Wi-Fi? Do you have money for the things that you didn’t think would add up, but surprisingly do, such as buying bottled water every day? How about spare cash for possible extra baggage fees on your flight back? For visa fees? How about ATM surcharges, which in some countries are astonishingly high? Some of these things might seem nominal, but for the backpacker on a super tight budget, it could mean running out of money before the trip is done.

10. You’re adamant about sticking to your planned route / activities.

After months of preparation and route mapping, you formulated a travel plan, and dammit, you’re going to stick to it…even if that means you’ll miss out on other, better, spontaneous plans.

Experienced backpackers tune into the opportunities of the road and take full advantage — staying an extra weekend to go experience the wedding of the cousin of the person they met at the bar? Hell yeah, when else are they going to get invited to a traditional Mongolian wedding? Many of the most memorable travel moments are the ones that you could never in a million years have planned ahead of time — in time, you’ll learn to embrace them enthusiastically when they come up.