Not Your Average Backpacker

On Sunday I am taking an orchestra audition. On Monday I am flying to Puebla, Mexico.

For five years I have walked the line as a nomadic wanderer and a professional classical musician. In school I frequently took spontaneous and sometimes irresponsible trips to places ranging from New Orleans to New Zealand. The classical musician life and the backpacker life don’t really go together, and in dozens of hostels around the world I have never met another backpacking classical musician. We are traditionally bound to a home base, while most backpackers travel for long durations of time and are limited to remote work (if they choose to work at all). Despite existing like oil and water, being a freelance musician and flying on standby have allowed me to live in both worlds.

Many serious backpackers leave behind a life with a steady 9-5 job in favor of greater freedom. It always sounded to romanticized to me – to sell all your belongings and head out into the world for however long you desire. But sometimes I wish I had a stable, boring job to leave. You see, I’ve loved being a classical musician since I was 12. Though I’ve definitely tried to run away from it. A passionate music career can be just as devastating as the most passionate romantic relationship, and in my case when you mix in the ability to fly standby it can be pretty tempting to ditch it all and go!

And ditch it I have. In September of 2020 I traveled through Turkey and Mexico, going months without playing my viola. As time went on I couldn’t bear the separation – I found myself humming melodies to pieces of music I hadn’t played in 10 years, and I knew it was time to get back to work. Since then I’ve come to terms with the fact that I may walk this line for years to come – staying in backpacker hostels in Central America one week, and playing gigs back home the next.

The 5.5 months I spent working on cruise ships before the pandemic was the closest thing that I’ve experienced to a happy medium between my interests. While I came to despise that job, the lifestyle was unforgettable and I miss it every day. I wonder if I’ll ever backpack South East Asia for a whole year, or if I could be happy stuck in one city for months on end while employed with a symphony orchestra. Finding a balance in my interests is a constant struggle, but for now I plan to keep taking 1-3 week long international trips on standby while maintaining an (ir)regular gig schedule back home.

Check out my next post on my brief stay in Puebla, Mexico!