18 People You Will Meet While Backpacking

You may fall in love with an exotic stranger, or fate may align your path with the best friend you never knew you were missing. And more likely than not, you will meet some very interesting characters whom you'll be happy to leave behind.

1. The Know-It-All

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The person can't wait to tell everyone who will listen how many countries they've visited. They waste no time telling you that you're traveling wrong because you aren't doing it just like them.

2. Accent Whore

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The girl who is traveling solo, but it's clear she's trying to latch onto that Aussie's travel plans. Oh, and now it's the German guy... and the Argentinean. I guess any man with a sexy accent will do.

3. Toddlers in Tote

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These young parents have multiple children along on their adventures, and they make it look easy! You don't know how they do it. In fact, you consider it a victory when you can order something off a menu that you recognize. The fact that they are doing it all with little ones is mind-boggling. And you secretly plan out how that is going to be you someday.

4. Rude Awakening

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The person who has no consideration for anyone else sleeping in the dorm room. They turn on the lights in the middle of the night and rustle through what seems to be 12 plastic bags. A fight ensues when someone who asks them to "keep it down".

5. The Group of Bros

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They travel in a pack and can be easily spotted in their neon tanks. They take group selfies in front of all famous landmarks and add captions like, "Enjoying this sick view with my boys. YOLO!"

6. Freakishly Frugal

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The couple who has been traveling the world for a year and a half and spends an average of $13 a day. Combined. They barter at convenience stores and sleep mostly in tents. Your last conversation with them went a little bit like this: "You paid $4 for lunch? We ate for free. We found some bread in the "free for all" pile at the hostel, and ate a fruit we found picked off a tree. I'm not sure what it was... and I don't think it was ripe, but it was free."

7. The Humble Hunk

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There's the guy who melts hearts wherever he goes. After being prodded, he talks about his time volunteering in Nepal, and mentions nonchalantly that he plays classical guitar. He smells of ocean breeze and campfires. Oh, and he starts med school next month? Helloooo.

8. Stars and Stripes

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The American who makes all other people from the states look bad. You know the one - they make really ignorant statements about the local culture, and just happen to talk a decibel above everyone else. And you wonder why other countries hate us?

9. Experimental Eddie

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The guy who is always looking for drugs. He talks about wanting to experience the local culture, but more often than not, he's passed out in his bed at odd hours of the day.

10. The Baby

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This girl just graduated high school and is on her first solo adventure. She radiates optimistic innocence, and makes you wish you too had taken a year to explore the world before delving into the real world.

11. Stage 5 Clinger

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That awkward person who invites them self on all your outings. No matter how much you hint otherwise, they wind up beside you.

12. Hot Hippie

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The girl who looks like she stepped out of an ad for Free People. She wears elephant pants, flower headbands and a nose ring. Her hair looks better unwashed (yes, even after a 4-day trek in the Andes).

13. Disaster from the Start

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The couple who seems to be fighting (or making up from a fight) every time you see them. You're not surprised when you run into one of them and they inform you they've gone separate routes for a while because they just "need some space".

14. The Freeloader

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They buy everyone a round of drinks for everyone in the hostel. True, it's happy hour, but still you wonder how they can afford to buy 17 shots for complete strangers on their round-the-world trip. That is, until you overhear them on the phone asking Mom to wire more money to their account. Now it's all making sense...

15. The Smelly Guy

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Some dorm rooms just stink, but sometimes it's someone in the dorm who is the root of the smell. I get it, you're living out our your backpack and it's to be expected to some extent. But come on, the shower's empty and I don't see you making any effort to get there.

16. Seeking Solace

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The middle-aged woman who is on her own Eat, Pray, Love journey. It's clear she has just experienced some pain, and is looking for happiness in the world around her. Attagirl!

17. The Techie

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This guy spends his days video chatting his girlfriend on his Macbook Air. At night, you can find him scrolling through his Twitter feed on his larger-than-life smart phone whilst jamming out in Beats headphones.

18. King (or Queen) of Cards

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This person seems to know everyone in the hostel and they're the one to organize the troops for drinking games and bar crawls. King's Cup with rules from around the world is a guaranteed way to have a fantastic night, by the way.