“Say what?” My honest responses to seven reactions about my trip.

I’ve been meaning to write this one for a little while.  Over the course of the past six months, I’ve told quite a few people about my upcoming trip to Central America.  In return, I’ve received some pretty varied feedback.  Here are my responses to a few of the reactions I got.

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“Did you know that Honduras is the murder capital of the world?  You’re probably going to die.”

First off, yes you’re somewhat correct.  Honduras has the highest rate of intentional homicide in the world.  Key word being “intentional”.  Most of the homicides in Honduras occur as a result of gang violence.  Last time I checked, I didn’t have strong associations to any gang in particular.  So where exactly would the motivation lay for killing an innocent backpacker like me?  For all that money I don’t have in my pockets?  For that invisible Rolex I go about flashing around?  For the pack full of dirty laundry I’m lugging with me?  Yes robberies do occur down here, but people generally don’t get murdered as a result.  You might lose your cash, your camera, your phone, etc.  All things that are material and replaceable.  Bad people lurk in all corners of this world and subsequently, bad things happen everywhere (not just in developing nations).  To prevent bad things from happening to me while traveling, I try to act with common sense.  I don’t show my valuables on the street.  I don’t walk in sketch-bag (yes that’s the official term) areas late at night or at all if I can avoid it.  I don’t go back to the hostel drunk and alone.  I don’t shoot my mouth off to the guy holding a machete.  So far these simple rules have kept me out of harm’s way and will hopefully continue to do so for the duration of my trip.

“You’re going where?   Looking like that?  <while gesturing at pretty much all of me>  But they’re going to see you.“

This is one of my favourites.  I know this sweet lady was just concerned about my well-being but her reaction made me laugh more than any other.  I think she was mostly gesturing at my gingy-blonde hair, pasty white skin and rosy red cheeks.  To be honest, even with a darker complexion and a different hair colour, I’d never blend in as a local.  It’s kind of unavoidable with the giant pack strapped to my back, my inability to speak fluent spanish and the fact I look lost 99% of the time.

“It’s not safe down there.”

Oddly enough, every person that told me Central America was unsafe had never been there (unless you count all-inclusive resorts in Mexico… which you shouldn’t).  It seems that the only things people hear about countries like Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are descriptions of poverty, crime, violence, etc.  The problem lies in the fact that news reports generally focus on the extremes.  People learn to fear countries they know very little about due to the odd horror story reported every now and again.  Fair enough, as most people don’t have anything else to base an opinion on.  A few people I spoke to couldn’t place Honduras on a map but somehow they knew it was extremely dangerous.  What the media doesn’t show you are the gracious people who welcome you to their country with open arms; friendly locals who want to share their culture and learn about yours.  They don’t show you the amazing scenery ranging from spectacular volcanic ranges to fascinating Mayan ruins to stunning lakes, brilliant waterfalls and gorgeous ocean views.  Central America has treated me well so far.  And barring a major catastrophe, I won’t think any less of it if something doesn’t happen to go my way.

“You must be really scared.”

Actually no.  Other than a few nerves when the plane first touched down in Honduras I haven’t felt serious fear during my trip so far.  Those nerves on the plane were more from the realization of “Holy crap. I’m actually doing this.”  To be honest, what scares me more than backpacking through developing countries is settling down in one place, getting a 9-5 job with two weeks vacation a year and having to do the same thing day in day out.  To me, that thought is terrifying.  Taking a chicken bus in Guatemala?  Not so much.

“You’re so lucky.  I could never do that.”

It actually doesn’t have much to do with luck.  I worked ridiculously long hours and took every shift I could this past summer.  I saved up my pennies.  I did my research and figured out where I wanted to go.  I quit my job.  I bought a plane ticket.  So I didn’t end up here on luck.  I got here by making a decision and following through with it.  If you wanted to, you could do it too.  You probably just don’t think you can.  Most people don’t like being pushed out of their comfort zone because well, it’s uncomfortable.  However, it’s in those uncomfortable places that you sometimes find the biggest rewards.

“Might as well do it while you’re young.”

To an extent, yes.  There are certain places I want to go while I’m young, relatively fit and full of energy.  But in addition to physical factors, I think it’s much easier to do this type of backpacking in your twenties for social reasons as well.  The countries I’m trekking through are full of people around my age doing exactly the same thing.  Finding friends down here is as easy as it’ll ever be for me.  I’ve met some solo travelers who are a bit later in life, and I imagine it’s more of a challenge for them to find people on their level to hang with.  That being said, I have no plans to end my travels at a certain age.  Specific factors may change (destinations, length of trip, method of travel, etc.) but I believe I’ll always have a thirst for new places, new people and new experiences.

“That’s awesome.”

Yes it is.  Thank you for recognizing that.  You’re pretty awesome yourself.

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a totally unrelated photo of me being a dork while snorkeling.

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