In England the rain is cold, here in Singapore it brings no relief. I look like a fool wearing my green raincoat with my cheeks so red, and I can feel my shirt clinging to my back with sweat as I lug my 12kg backpack to the metro station.
How many times have I played the role of the bumbling foreigner? I look like a turtle with my big round backpack shell that I have walked miles and miles across a dozen different countries. Inside those 40 litres are all my belongings, it truly is my home. I’ve lost a handful of my things whilst hopping from hostel to hostel, but the one thing that is yet to leave me is my refusal to catch a taxi.
Of course a quick car journey is nothing compared to the emissions of the A350 that flew me here, but there’s no need to add to it. So I trek across Singapore just as I did in Phnom Penh and Hoi An and just as I will do in Shanghai and Tokyo.
I curse when I realise I’ve climbed the wrong flights of stairs, ending up at a bar instead of my peaceful hostel. Back down I go, sweating in my rain coat – now I understand why Singaporeans use umbrellas.
After 6 months of seeing the world together, I’ve grown fond of my trusty backpack. It didn’t leave me on long buses and it carefully carried my clothes, sure it made me look silly on the subway, blocking everyone’s path in Seoul’s rush hour, but it played a big role in my journey.
My bag forces me to pack minimally; socks get stuffed into shoes, bottles of toiletries are switched to bars of soap and shampoo, and now I really have to consider the souvenirs I buy. But being able to carry my bag allows me to walk long distances without getting frustrated at faulty suitcase wheels or dying a little inside every time I encounter a steep flight of stairs that would make me want to call a taxi.
Without knowing it, my backpack helped me to travel more sustainably.
I intend to keep it as my travelling partner for many years to come.
This summer, my backpack and I are going to school in Hong Kong. This time round it’ll carry notebooks and pens and I’ll keep a spot free for meaningful gifts to bring home to Mum. I’ll haul it on the MTR across the city instead of taking one of those iconic red taxis, at least this time I know not to wear a coat if it rains.
As we embark another adventure together, my backpack will be a quiet reminder to myself to continue my efforts of travelling sustainably. Together, we’ll make our small but positive on the world.
