What a 74 Year Old Man Can Teach Us About Backpacking

Posted on 19. Jul, 2011 by Steph in Philosophy

Contrary to the chaos you might observe at a party hostel on a Saturday night, backpacking isn’t just for the young. I’ve met all kind of people in common rooms around the world: from brave 18-year old solo travelers to cool dudes old enough to be my dad. Or, in the case of Bill, my grandfather.

Finding my hostel in Beijing was kind of a nightmare. It was well past dark and the hostel was down a dark, poorly signposted alley that I walked by about 4 times before realizing where I needed to go. My stress levels were already high, so when I finally went to claim my bunk and stumbled across a snoring geriatric, I was a little alarmed. I’d been expecting the usual mix of young party kids, frugal couples and other solo twenty-somethings, not dentures in a glass next to the bed. The alarm turned to annoyance as serious snoring kept me up late into the night.

The next day over complimentary tea and toast I sat down and actually had a chat with my roommate. His name was Bill, he was 74, a navy veteran, and as it turned out, pretty awesome. He’s been traveling the world non-stop for 6 years now. He’s been through Europe, the Middle East and much of Asia. He’ll travel for 6 months at a time, then take 6 weeks off to visit his children and grandchildren in the States before leaving again. He told me that people often call him Grandpa Sunshine because he brings good weather wherever he goes.

So what lessons can we young’uns learn from Grandpa Sunshine?

Exploration is a Part of Human Nature

“The biggest problem with kids today,” Bill told me, “is that they’ve lost the drive to explore. It’s human nature to want to see what’s out of sight, what’s over the next mountain.”

Personally I can’t agree more: the desire to learn and explore is something innate and important, and I think that many of us (particularly in the US) neglect those urges. I think that’s part of why travel is so dangerously addictive: once you uncover that drive to explore and discover, it’s pretty hard to keep denying it.

Life Changes Fast

In one year Bill’s life was turned totally upside down: his wife of 30 years died of cancer and his house was destroyed by a hurricane. It was then that he decided to take the insurance money and use it to travel around the world- he’s been going ever since.

Nobody wants to experience tragedy, but it’s a fact that the twists and turns of life can be radical and sudden. I think that’s part of the reason some people embrace travel: it’s also constant change and growth. Instead of allowing devastation to take hold, Bill took control of his life and started pursuing the things that really mattered to him.

photo credit: Kıvanç Niş

Ignore the Nonbelievers

Bill’s grown-up children think he’s lost his mind, “they keep asking when I’m going to just come home.” I think that anybody who has traveled long term is familiar with the nagging doubt that comes from the people who just don’t get it. They are always going to be there, the key is learning how to manage them effectively while staying true to yourself.

Push Your Limits

Bill’s kids weren’t the only ones skeptical about his abilities: the chinese staff in the hostel simply did not know what to do with him- particularly when he insisted he was able-bodied enough to join the rigorous Great Wall hiking tour on offer at reception. Torn between traditional respect for elders and sheer disbelief the staff vigorously tried to dissuade him from hiking even though he insisted he could do it. Bill handled this with grace and firm resistance.

Okay, so you may not be a septuagenarian with something to prove, but it never hurts to push yourself a little. I mean here I was, sitting on the couch like a lazy bum, fretting over how hard the hike might be. You know what? It was pretty tough. But it was so worth it and I’m glad I pushed myself to do it instead of visiting some pansy part of the wall like Badaling.

STOP Making Excuses

Bill walks with a cane, wears thick glasses and has dentures. After many years of traveling he’s on a pretty tight budget so he travels slowly and sleeps in dormitories. Still, he loves traveling and has no plans to stop anytime soon.

If that guy can keep it up, so can you. I mean come on guys.

When I last saw Bill he was sitting in the sun, typing on his ENORMOUS Dell laptop. Grandpa Sunshine. It certainly is true that my time in Beijing was the clearest and sunniest few days I spent in China. Really though, I think he gets his nickname from how inspiring he is to other travelers. I mean, I hope when I’m in his age I’m still doing the things I love, whether that is still backpacking or something else entirely.

UPDATE APRIL 2012: I last saw Bill back in October 2010 but apparently he is still circling the world, doing his travel thing. A friend of mine recently had the pleasure of meeting him in Uruguay. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside to know that he’s out there still, inspiring people as he goes.

Have you seen Bill? PLEASE contact me if you do! Steph@twenty-somethingtravel.com

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27 Responses to “What a 74 Year Old Man Can Teach Us About Backpacking”

Dalene - Hecktic Travels
19. Jul, 2011
Really awesome post – what a cool guy to meet. We met a 60+ year old Turkish woman in Ecuador last year with a similar style. She was our “hostel mama” for a week and we sure learned a lot from her!
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Kay Coates
19. Jul, 2011
This was a very interesting post.
I’m a 60 yr. young woman who would love to be a world traveler but I must admit I’m afraid of going it alone. Anyone out there who would enjoy the same & want a travel companion?
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Tom
19. Jul, 2011
Steph…did you walk up THAT part of the Great Wall?!? I don’t think I’d be able to stand up straight – I’d have to crawl up there. And cry when I couldn’t get back down.
He sounds like a pretty cool dude – I don’t know if I’ve come across anyone older than their mid-30s whilst travelling, yet!
The bit you wrote about radical change is so true, it happens to all of us. After my grandmother died suddenly due to a hospital making an error, my mum ended up divorcing my dad not too long after and re-starting. I came to Korea after a 2.5 year relationship came to an end and the place I was working at had a promotion freeze.
Sometimes the hardships we experience are what makes us who we are today…glad you touched on this
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Katy
19. Jul, 2011
This is an inspiring entry! I want to travel the world too and explore but I’m one of those people who makes excuses (mostly work and money). Once my life is more stable, I hope I’ll be able to take more risks and venture out more and take in everything this world has to offer.
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Becki453
19. Jul, 2011
What an inspiration Grandpa Sunshine is – great to see that age isn’t a limit when it comes to following your travelling dreams
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Erik
19. Jul, 2011
A wonderful post. Lesson can be learned everywhere, often in the most surprising places and from the most surprising people. I often forget that even though I’ve seen it time and time again.
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Alouise
20. Jul, 2011
It’s very inspiring to see someone follow their dreams, no matter what the circumstance. Age shouldn’t stop people from doing what they love.
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Nadia | Gap Daemon
20. Jul, 2011
This is such a great post – travel is all about meeting new people/ people you wouldn’t necessarily befriend at home. A fab example of the best of backpacking!
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Joel Duncan
20. Jul, 2011
There is always room for more posts like this one. It is quite inspiring and reassuring to see that travel has no age. As a matter of fact, economical travel isn’t reserved for the 20 year old partier. In relative terms I am still a young traveler but I hope that in my older days, I too can be a Grandpa sunshine who inspires other to get out there and explore this beautiful planet. Thanks again for a great post.
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Dominique
20. Jul, 2011
Bill is my new hero! I love to hear about older people doing things that others think is beyond their age. Ha! Awesome post.
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Audrey
20. Jul, 2011
This is a great story. Bill sounds like a pretty cool guy who is not letting societal convention and age slow down his joy of exploration. I love running into older travelers in guest houses and hostels – they usually have so much life experience and perspective to share. And, we’ve been out-trekked by them a few times as well!
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Lily
20. Jul, 2011
I really enjoyed this post. I think my favorite part was when he mentioned that his children think he has lost his mind and keep asking when he is going to come home. I know personally, family is a large influence in my life whether that is good or bad and I think that Bill being able to put himself first is absolutely wonderful, you only live once! This was great and thank you for sharing
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kamaria
20. Jul, 2011
This was such an inspiring post! I like that travel teaches you lessons and that some people find their happiness through traveling. I saw that you travel a lot and gtrot is a great place to share your travels!
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Alexis
20. Jul, 2011
Of all the great posts you’ve published, this is one of my favorites! It’s always inspiring to talk to those who have been through a lot. Thank you for sharing!
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Carina
21. Jul, 2011
Steph, this really is a great post! I especially loved the part where you say “ignore the nonbelievers”. I think that this is one of the biggest challenges in life to find your own path inspite of everybody elses opinion. And when it feels right to you and you feel the need to do it: Go for it! This post reminded me of why it is so important to travel and why travel has so much to do with finding your personal freedom. Thanks for sharing!
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Bluegreen Kirk
21. Jul, 2011
When are you just going to come home? I don’t think some people will ever get that not all people are the same. Most want you to simply do what they think is better for you. I can only imagine seeing dentures in a glass.
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Odysseus Drifts
22. Jul, 2011
What a great post! Bill is an inspiration. A lot of people his age are in nursing homes watching mindless soap operas. But this guy understands how to make the most of his life. Yeah.
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Cheryl
22. Jul, 2011
Nice story! When we traveled abroad for 18 months we met some amazing people of all ages and backgrounds. It was nice to see since we ourselves were early 40′s! I hope we run into Sunshine Bill when we hit the road again for our next (hopefully 2 year) adventure abroad!
Cheers to an inspiring topic!
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Marian Schembari
25. Jul, 2011
Brilliant. At the end of the day “stop making excuses” is the be all and end all. Once you confront that and even simply realise that you’re making excuses, everything else often falls into place.
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- Steph
  01. Aug, 2011
  So very true!
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Bama
03. Aug, 2011
This story encourages me to do more traveling, and I really want to meet an old man like Bill when I’m traveling, or maybe I’m going to meet Bill himself one day. Who knew?
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Bobbi Lee Hitchon
04. Aug, 2011
Love this post!
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Ourjotterbook
05. Aug, 2011
These people are truly the great adventurers of life! We met someone elderly like Bill too while we were backpacking in Interlaken, Switzerland. He too was so full of zest for his age! Makes us wonder will we be like them later on in life…
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The Orange Backpack
29. Nov, 2011
This reminds of the older man in that documentary “A Map for Saturday”. He had all these medications and what not but he didn’t let that stop him from living his life in a way that made him happy. Balls bro!
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- Steph
  04. Dec, 2011
  I remember that old guy, he was so impressive.
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Harrison
29. Jan, 2012
Wow, your grandfather is amazing. Actually reminds me of my grandpa from my dad’s side, he spent last decade to 2 decades just traveling all over the globe. I believe my “travel gene” definitely came from him. Most likely, the travel gene also travels through your family as well
Thanks for sharing this great post!
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Aaron @ Aaron's Worldwide Adventures
15. Apr, 2012
What a fantastic story! We can learn so much from our elders. My grandmother was my own version of Bill, who in her octogenarian years took me to Angkor Wat and to Palenque in Mexico. She knew she couldn’t do everything and had definitely outgrown hostels, but she was an ace traveler, one who was never shy to get out and keep exploring!
So very glad to hear that Bill is still out there!
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