Adventure is out there …,
Hello fellow travellers! My name is Mark. I started this blog to help people discover more about the wonders of backpacking in Colombia.
I backpacked in Colombia in 2019 an absolutely loved it. It is a great budget backpacking destination(if you pay attention to your spending!)
What is Life All About?
“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” – Alan Watts
Have you ever said one of the following:
“I really feel stuck.”
“I’d like to see more of the world.”
“I need to go on an adventure.”
“I want to travel but I just don’t know how to make it happen.”
“How do I save money for travelling?”
I get it. I really do. A lot of us feel a bit stuck in a rut and we know that the world is this huge , amazing place and we long to see it all.
How can you make heading out and backpacking in Colombia, or anywhere for that matter, happen?
Maybe you need to make a few changes to how you are living your life at the moment. Okay. So do it.
You can travel more.
Life is just to damn short to sit in an office or go through the motions of life for…what?
I think life should be about experiences and maybe travelling is your way to get more out of life.
I should mention that I am not a “young” person. As of me writing this I am about to turn 53 years old. And I didn’t go on a big backpacking trip until I was in my late 30’s.
So DO NOT let your age be any kind of excuse. I have met people who are in their 60’s and 70’s out there backpacking various countries and staying in hostels.
I Still Have a Job
I do not travel “full time” like some people are able to do. I have a lawn care business in my home province of Nova Scotia, Canada which keeps me wonderfully busy from April until November(yup November in Canada doing yard work!). I also substitute teach a few days per week during the school year when I am not travelling. Sometimes more than a few days per week.
But when January rolls around I am really itching to find an escape from the winter weather. So if things have gone well and I’ve saved a few dollars, I try to wander somewhere warmer for a month or two.
And I really enjoy going to a country, staying in hostels, meeting people from all over the world and really exploring a place. Sometime I will stay in a small town for a week.
Maybe you can only find a week for your first time to go and travel. Maybe three weeks. You can still have a great adventure if you plan things properly.
Is Colombia a good country for backpackers?
I think Colombia is damn near a perfect country for backpackers who want to experience a vibrant location that has mountains, beaches, hiking and so many big cities and charming colonial towns to explore. There is something for everyone.
You certainly don’t have to be rich either. I am very much a budget traveller. My weak Canadian dollar makes sure of that.
Where do you stay when backpacking in Colombia?
I stay in hostels and I LOVE it. I am more of an introvert by nature but staying in a hostel forces me to meet people from all over the world. I met one of my new best friends in Guatemala in 2020 and we have stayed in touch every month since then and will be meeting up in Colombia in 2024.
You just need to get out of your comfort zone. I really feel that is where personal growth happens. When you take chances.
Maybe you want to volunteer at an orphanage or school. Maybe you want to work at an animal rescue. How about volunteering at a farm, or learning a language? There are so many opportunities out there.
Or maybe you just want to wander, do some bird watching, learn about a place, its’ people and enjoy some incredible coffee, food an experiences.
It’s all up to you.
