would you rather backpack or be an expat?
Among those who have left home behind to experience and see the world, there are the backpackers and there are the expats.
A backpacker is a master of minimalism - he takes the bare essentials on the road with him and embraces the nomadic lifestyle. The expat arrives in a new country and carves out a home for himself. The expat adapts to his surroundings and takes in the new culture within the context of work, school or family.
Neither way of seeing the world is superior, and indeed, at times the lines blur between the two.
While I was teaching in China, I had the chance to explore Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam for a total of six weeks. Beautiful, mind-blowing and exhilarating, all of it. But every new place I visited, I knew I wasn’t staying long enough to truly understand the what I was seeing or experiencing. I was left with the feeling that I was merely brushing the surface of something spectacular.
That’s why, in my second stab at hoisting the pack on my back for some nomadic wandering, I promised myself I would take it all in at a slower pace.
And yet, even with my newfound snail-pace, exploring Buenos Aires and Argentinian Patagonia for over two months, I never quite got into the swing of the backpacker lifestyle.
I would say it was a disappointment that I’m a failure at long-term backpacking, but if I’m being honest with myself, I’d have to acknowledge that deep down I’ve always known that my style is much more suited to the expat way.
At all of this brings me to my biggest piece of news.
I live in Chile now.
I’m teaching English and living in Santiago de Chile. I’ve found myself an apartment, unpacked my backpack and settled into a discovery of a new country at my own speed.
Stay tuned for more about my Chilean adventures!
















