Getting ready for a backpacking trip is an art. You have to fit everything you need to survive into a bag that looked a whole lot bigger in the store....
When you think about picking up your life and moving across the world for six months, things in your life tend to fall into two different categories. Can I live without it or do I need this for my everyday happiness?
Travel doesn't need to be stressful. While it's easy to head off with your backpack and bankcard in hand, most travelers only learn this the hard way, through tough experience.