Backpacking in Your 30s: Travelling When You’re 30+
Two months before my 30th birthday I went travelling. My long term relationship had finished – almost six months to the day before my 30th – I had some savings, and my side hustle – this blog – was going well. So well that sometimes it felt like I was doing two jobs.
It was time to leave the rat race in London, and take me and my blog on the road. I went backpacking in my 30s.
It’s mad that that was five years ago now.
FIVE years.
Before we’d ever even heard the word ‘Brexit’. Woooahhh.
Time goes so weirdly fast, yet, I’ve packed an absolute lifetime of adventures in those five years – including buying a house, and meeting Ben, and after three years on the road, coming back to England to live.
Travelling at 30
My gap year at 30 lasted three years. Three years of a crazy freedom most people don’t get to experience for a week. I feel so, so lucky that I get to do this travel blogging and content creation for a job. Honestly, writing and travelling is what I’d do if I won the lottery. I already have my absolute dream career.
It did take a gamble and a leap of faith or two though. And a lot of hard work.
During those three years of travel I used to write for my old employer, gapyear.com, and the other day I came across this blog post I’d written, about taking a gap year in your thirties. It was a time warp for me, a flashback to those first few months of exploring the world and getting to experience all the places I’d read about in my previous two jobs in travel journalism.
Today is my 35th birthday. Five years since I sold everything and went travelling. So, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to publish the edited version on my blog.
Too old to travel?
As we get into our thirties, forties, fifties on so on, I think it’s easy to claim we’re ‘too old to do that’. Talking ourselves out of the many wonderful opportunities that are open to us because we’re worried about our age, and the age of those around us. I know I do this. The thing is though, you’re never going to be as young as you are now.
See, you’re already older.
I think travel is one of those things. Going travelling when you’re that bit older often isn’t as easy as it is for people in their twenties. But we’re not going to let a little thing like a few challenges get in the way of us and our dreams, are we?!
If you’re thinking of travelling long term, but you’re worried about being older than the average, then I hope this post will give you the push you need, or at least something to think about. And if you’re not, well just read this and bank it for the future. You never know what could exciting adventures are waiting in your future.
Backpacking in your 30s
– From VickyFlipFlop a la 2015
I started my gap year at 29 years and 10 months old. Eight months in and it’s without a doubt one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I didn’t go on a gap year after school.
As is the case for most people who take a gap year in their 30s, rather than in their teens, 20s or retirement, there was a sink or swim catalyst. Two in fact. My five-year relationship was over and my freelance writing business was really taking off.
About 20 minutes after I was dumped I decided that this was the sign I was waiting for to stop worrying about age, money and what other people would think and just go backpacking. Two months later, jobless and homeless, I was loving life at Latitude Festival in Suffolk – the first baby step on my tour, which so far has taken me to the following countries since July 2014:
· July-September = Slovakia > Hungary > Romania > Bulgaria > Italy
· October-December = Mexico > Guatemala > Belize
· January-April = Japan > Taiwan > Philippines > Singapore > Indonesia > India
Of course I worried that I was too old to be hanging out in hostels. I worried that I’d ruin a career that I’d worked hard for, and spent a lot on. Nervous that I’d get lonely and be back in a few months with my tail between my legs. Worried about what other people would think. And finally, for now, I was concerned that pretty much all of my peers were either married, pregnant or both, and why didn’t I just want to be like them?
But, following the usual life processes and parent pleasing that everyone else was doing just wasn’t right for me. I wanted to get out there and see some of the other 180 or so countries in the world. I wanted to meet interesting people who’d grown up differently to me, who had diverse life interests and wildly different goals to the people I’d known for years. It was time to see different landscapes and to experience every day as special.
I wanted to see what else the world held beyond the life I’d lived.
I’ve taken extensive travelling trips at 20, 21 and 26 but there’s no doubt in my mind that 30 is a perfect age to travel.
You’ve done enough to bring some cool stories and perspectives to the table, your eyes are open enough to see that travel isn’t just about getting hammered in the clubs with all the other Westerners, and you have the strength of soul and mind to do exactly what you want rather than following the pack.
Taking a gap year at 30 is definitely a different experience to that of all the 20 year olds out there; you make the most of your tips and you’ll find it’s actually even better…
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Backpacking accommodation in your 30s
There’s an art to dealing with hostels at 30+ – particularly after what seems like a lifetime of a cushty bed with your beloved. All of a sudden you have to share with 6 or 7 strangers snoring, farting and rustling plastic bags in the early hours.
I’d definitely recommend staying in hostels over hotels though – this is how you get to meet people, find out the cool things going on and make your money last a lot longer. Here are a few tips on how to enjoy hostels when you’re 30+.
· Never stay in more than a 4-bed dorm, unless in extreme circumstances.
· If there’s even an option of more than a 10-bed dorm for super cheap the place will be overrun with noodle-sucking, bucket-bombing 18-year-olds. Abort.
· Never go for the cheapest (see above).
· Never, ever choose a hostel with metal bed. Wood every time.
· Treat yourself to a private room every so often / as much as you can.
· Always read the reviews for potential red flags (creatures, bad Wi-Fi, constant late night parties etc.)
One of my favourite hostel experiences was at La Boheme Hostel on Gili T, in Indonesia. I ended up meeting a great bunch of people and hanging out with them to enjoy all the best things to do on Gili T – our ages didn’t even come into it. Although, they were definitely all younger than me.
Backpacking activities when you’re 30+
If you join a ‘friends on arrival / orientation’ kind of tour, expect to find inexperienced and nervous travellers. Have the confidence to just go it alone. Tours are definitely a good idea but read the small print, check out their social media and think about what kind of person they will attract. Certain companies and groups are sure to be filled with younger travellers. If that’s not a problem for you then it’s sure not a problem for them, but just so you know.
I’ve done tours with G Adventures and Tao Expeditions and both have been some of the best times I’ve had on my travels. I’m actually keen to do more in the future.