They say a picture paints a thousand words but a gif can paint a million. Here’s 43 of them showing the best (and worst) of backpacker life.

1. When you’ve finally quit your job and you’re ready to go.

2. When the lady at check-in actually cares that you’re 1kg over the baggage weight limit.

3. When you finally get all your laundry done after two weeks of recycling dirty clothes.

4. When you find out 3 days later that one of your socks is missing.

5. When you’ve been out sightseeing on a rainy day and the hot water at the hostel isn’t working when you get back.

6. When the time comes for you and your favourite travel buddy to finally say goodbye.

7. Thirty seconds later.

8. When you go into your hostel dorm and find out a super hot Swedish girl is in the bunk next to you.

9. When you find out she’s actually Australian.

10. When everyone decides to just have one beer because we’re getting up for a tour in the morning.

11. One hour later…

12. When the hostel pub quiz is just about to start.

13. After the first round of the hostel pub quiz.

14. First night in town and you’re heading out with your new crew from the hostel.

15. Next morning.

16. When the newbie backpacker gets way too drunk and finally vomits all over himself.

17. When you do exactly the same thing the next night.

18. When you try to quietly sneak back into your dorm after a night out and you think you’re being really quiet.

19. But you’re actually like…

20. When you finally check in to your new pimped out Airbnb apartment.

21. Ten minutes later…

22. When you’ve been refreshing your phone for an hour but it still won’t connect to the hostel wifi.

23. When you see your first famous landmark.

24. When you see your second famous landmark.

25. When you’re trying to dodge all the hustlers while walking around famous tourist spots.

26. When you and your buddies have just arrived in a new city.

27. Ten minutes later.

28. When your stomach starts playing up and you’ve got a ten hour bus ride ahead of you.

29. When you need to get up for a morning flight and you’re hungover.

30. One hour later at the airport.

31. When you rush into the hostel bathroom in the morning and it hasn’t been cleaned yet from the night before.

32. When you get put in a dorm room with a bunch of 18 year old airheads.

33. One hour later.

34. When nobody responds to your Couchsurfing request.

35. When you’ve got $25 to spend on a night out in Thailand.

36. When you eat some dodgy food for lunch and your stomach starts to curdle.

37. When you’re trying to talk to people in a country where no one speaks English.

38. When there’s still one hour left on the bus ride and you really need to pee.

39. What you think you’re going to do if anyone tries to mug you.

40. What you’ll actually do.

41. When someone asks if you want a tuk-tuk again.

42. When you finally come home and see your own bed.

43. When you immediately get out the map and start planning wherever is next:

Have these ever happened to you? Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments below 🙂