Adventureatanyage

I went backpacking around South East Asia and Australia for 10 months with a good friend in 1994/95, (hi Chris), so I am keen to see how places have changed and how my ability to cope stands up, especially as I think Pip might be a bit more particular about things than Chris and I ever were.

Physically there is a noticeable difference, and I don’t just mean the lack of hair that makes a hat essential rather than a choice. At age 24 I was in pretty good shape. At 56 the shape has changed somewhat so despite keeping my rucksack to 11kg, (up to 13kg when Pip discreetly added 3 bags of toiletries) the same as 32 years ago, there is unfortunately an extra 2 rucksacks worth of weight sat around my waist which could prove troublesome. Hopefully this trip might shift some of that.

On a more cerebral level I remember leaving for my first trip after 6 years of working but still as a relatively naive individual. Returning to the UK I felt full of confidence and that I could survive and thrive in any situation. As you get older you get more and more confident in your own world, but that world tends to get smaller and smaller, and there are less and less situations where you go out of your comfort zone. I am looking forward to the massive increase in spontaneity.

Finally, I may have a few stories to share from the last trip and compare to those this time around.