“People travel to wonder at the heights of the mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long course of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.” St. Augustine

i'm writing a persuasive speech on backpacking for my speech class and i need polls to drive my points. so i thought that i would use a poll from the backpacking community.

thanks for your help guys (and gals)! :worship:

Good poll
I think that it would be a great idea for you to post your speech here when you are done that way could all be persuaded it to backpacking :rolleyes:

JUST A WARNING...ask your prof is this kind of poll will be acceptable in your paper/speech. I had a hard nosed speech prof and they said any poll that was not designed or approved by psych/social groups would not be accepted in our work since they may not be truly accurate blah blah blah....im she was more strict then most...but it never hurts to ask

the thought of travel is one of the few things that engage me, all i'm good at is moving, so thats just what i'll do.

I would say that travel in general has been hugely important in my life. Backpacking in particular, well, I guess it just depends. Because I used a backpack to carry my things around Europe in, does that mean I'm a "backpacker"? Because the year before, when my mom and I were visiting family, we had wheeled suitcases. But the spirit of adventure was still the same (even if I was with my mom-- she's pretty cool. :thumbup:)

On the other hand, as much as it's a part of my life *now*, it hasn't always been. I would say that there are other factors that have had more influence on who I am today. But continuing to travel and grow as a person, that may change down the road. :cheers:

Did that make sense? :mellow:

you already know what I think...and if it weren't for backpacking, I would have never met you :wub:

What we've learned in AP Stat is that a poll has to be random and it can't be voulentary to be complelty accurate. Holy shit I did use knowledge from that class in the real world. :no:

Backpacking has opened more doors for me than any other venture I have undertaken. My horizons are always bigger when I come home and my hope for a better future is always stronger. Seeing the world through the eyes of a street orphan in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil or climbing a fourteener in Colorado, these experiences are what living is about. It is those quiet moments of discovery on a distant shore that opens the mind to understanding and the heart to peace.

-jake

Backpacking solo has helped me become resourceful and more confident. And I'm now more realistic about poverty in under developed countries.

But above all, it has made me lose my fear of the world going to countries said to be a bit dangerous, and increased my faith in life and people. When I was in trouble (so many times) something or someone came up to help me out the situation.

he's a pretty laid back professor. he is the type to tell you that you can learn more outside of school than in school. not to mention this is his last semester before he retires, so he's been extremely kewl. i am doing a random survey as well of students at my school.
ask and you shall recieve. this is the definition that the encyclopedia has.
Definition of Backpacking: Backpacking is traveling long distances with a backpack Two forms can be distinguished:
Backpacking (wilderness) is the complete combination of hiking, camping and adventure tourism
Backpacking (urban) is a subculture of generally youthful travellers exploring the planet on a limited budget. :wub: and to not have met you would have been a tradegy. you are the love of my life. :kisscheek:


jake and atchoum----> well put. you guys mind if i quote you?

Go ahead ! :thumbup: Pleased and honored to be of any help to your speech and the overall traveling cause !

For me, travel in general (not just backpacking) has greatly altered my world view. I think many people who grow up in the bubble of a western culture fail to fully grasp what living in a lesser developed culture really means....how you might look at life differently if you never had the opportunities afforded by the safety net of society as most of us know it. I think your own beliefs and understanding of the world can also be altered by all of the different people you meet along the way. You might never get the opportunity to see things from such different perspectives if you stay in your own country all your life.

Lastly, for me also, travel has meant getting a chance to see with my own eyes some of the culture clashes as western consumerism and habits infiltrates these developing countries, such as China and Thailand. Cultural norms having to do with family, work, respect for your parents, dress codes are all being rapidly impacted by western trends. Is this a good thing.....a bad thing....or the inevitability of progress/evolution?? I don't know the answer.........but it is a fascinating but somewhat disconcerting thing to witness firsthand.

I guess all of these things help me to understand the world a bit better, my place in it (I will probably never fully understand that) and maybe just figure out a little more what it really means to be a human living in this world from a lot of different perspectives. I think many people have a hard time figuring out what is truly important to them in life and traveling, for me, helps to answer that question (at least a little). Does that sound corny? :lol1:

Livefreeordie, that was beautifully inspired ! People usually go for the short version on internet boards, unfortunately, like I did. You found the words to express the impact of travelling/backpacking on many lives. So I salute your sensitivity and intelligence. :kisscheek:

Ditto, LiveFree. Well said!

SD, I think travel is so important because it literally opens people's minds. I honestly believe you are a more patient and tolerant person if you have traveled outside your own country. Just think of a restaurant or store down the street from you and imagine what people's reaction would be if someone walked in and didn't speak your language. The non-traveler may sneer and think (or even say): "Damn foreigner, why don't they learn to speak English." The traveler will be intrigued and interested, and likely approach the person and try to be helpful.

Once you've been THAT foreigner in a country, not speaking the language, you know what it's like. It teaches you tolerance, it teaches you to be empathetic to others that are from other cultures.

Good luck on the assignment, SD, and congrats on being almost done with school!

worldwidemike