Backpackers Inc.

Perth, 2010

There are these two sides to the whole backpacking thing. One, the one we all know, is loud, drunk, stoned and horny. The other side is quiet – a hidden rollercoaster of failure and discovery, constituting unspoken feelings of loneliness and a weariness of the unknown. As strangers become friends, shared uncertainty and a future (however privileged) dotted with question marks provide common ground. The chasing of an elusive idea of freedom and adventure, away from one’s family, creates strong bonds. These are the bunk beds of youthful democracy. Everyone here, while journeying towards an idea of themselves, yearns to find meaning.