Pretending Not to be a Backpacker

By
Sarah
– March 9, 2011

Being a Backpacker

After a wonderfully refreshing four days walking the South Downs (more to come on that) I found myself once again up at silly o’clock and getting my resisting self ready for work.  I moped around in my dressing gown, glancing sulkily towards the office clothes I’d laid out for the morning.  Over the weekend, my outfit choices were restricted to what was going to keep me warm and dry enough to enjoy a walk through the English countryside.  And now, once again I’m being asked to dress appropriately for the office.  I need to present a professional front to ensure I send the correct message to clients and am easily identifiable as a member of the commuting army.  I put on my makeup and tug my hair into place.  Getting ready for work in the mornings is turning into a battle of wills.

As our departure date gets ever closer I am finding myself developing a split personality – London Sarah and Backpacker Sarah.  For two years now London Sarah has done a pretty good job of walking the (fast paced, eyes down) walk and talking the talk (but never to anyone you don’t know) of an office-working, tube-commuting Londoner.  But as our d-day (departure date) gets closer, Backpacker Sarah is starting to rear her rather more laid back head.  You see, to travel I need money.  And to get money I need to work (trust fund or lottery win aside).  And, apparently, work places want to hire committed individuals who are going to devote their lives to the company.  They are not, it would seem, interested in devoting time and resources into someone who is likely to jump on a plane to the other side of the world at a moment’s notice.  So, London Sarah has stepped in.  She does a much better job at sounding convincingly committed to a job, putting on the right clothes and facing a tube full of commuters than Backpacker Sarah has ever managed.

But now, the mask is starting to slip.  I am becoming more and more conscious of feeling like a fraud as I get ready in the morning.  These clothes, the shoes, the makeup and blow-dried hair: it isn’t me. Given the choice I would throw on a pair of shorts, a t-shirts and some flip flops.  I’d let my hair go curly and enjoy a slight tan as my only make up.  I’d throw my backpack over my shoulder and walk off to meet new people, try new food and see new sights. Right now, that’s not an option for me.  So how do you carry on at work while waiting for the travels to begin?  How do you maintain the act of an ‘office professional’?

My Travel Pendants

1. Wear the right clothes. Unless you are lucky enough to work outdoors or have a very relaxed dress code for your office, chances are that the shorts and T-shirt option isn’t going to be too popular with your boss. So out come the black trousers, the sensible dresses and maybe even (gah) tights. Men may have to find themselves buttoned into collared shirts and tying a tie (what is the point of ties?). With a dress code which actively hampers individuality I find it helpful to wear little trinkets to remind myself of who I really am. Anklets and traveller’s bracelets are easy to hide and help to bring back those travel memories.

2. Wear makeup(girls) and tame your hair. Travellers are notorious for being a scruffy bunch.  Unfortunately, in the working world it’s just not going to slide.  We need to look like clean, tidy and respectable members of society.  Grrr…

3. Go to work. Quite a major one, this.  As tempting as it is to run off to the airport and grab a last minute flight it’s probably likely to end up getting you a bit fired.  Try to space out your days off and use them to indulge in some proximity travel.

4. Don’t talk to strangers. Just like your Mother told you when you were young, talking to strangers is a big no no.  It will make you stand out a mile, especially in London where talking to people you don’t know will signify you as crazy.  Really.  If you try it, prepare for the recipient to give you a ‘rabbit caught in headlights’ look before mumbling something about this being their stop as they jump off at Bethnal Green.  Come on.  No one lives at Bethnal Green.

5. Don’t talk about your love of travel Like a teenager in the flush of first love, backpackers sure do like to talk about the object of our affection – travel.  We can’t help ourselves.  Every other sentence out of our mouths normally has some “when I was in Vietnam…” or “ I tried fried scorpion the time I was in…” element to it.  Normal people don’t do this.  Allowed topics of conversation are: the weather, clothes, getting drunk and gossiping about work mates.   Whatever you do, steer clear of the “I’m planning to travel the world, working as I go so that I can stay out of the UK as long as possible” conversation starter.  It’s kinda going to give you away.

I’m looking forward to finishing work and jetting off to Thailand so that I can shake off London Sarah once and for all.  I enjoy having her about when it’s necessary to force my way onto tube trains or power stride through crowds on the way to work.  But she’s also prone to stress migraines and is inherently suspicious of everyone.  My hope is that we are now starting to make the choices which will give us the life of our choosing, not one which we are in by default.  Maybe a life like that will find us working on a sail boat or running our own hostel.  Maybe we’ll start a successful online business.  Or maybe we’ll set up a bunny sanctuary.  As we leave London hopefully the fast paced, eyes down walking can cease and we can begin to saunter though life, lifting our eyes to the beauty around us.

Related posts:

  1. Backpacker poems – on returning from Cyprus
  2. A little rant about London
  3. Travelling with hand luggage only
  4. Choosing my dreams over my 'dream job'
  5. A one-way ticket please…
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