We all know that apart from death the only other truly horrific aspect of having been born is knowing that at one point in your life you will have to endure either at first hand, or by overhearing a conversation on a bus or whatever, somebody talking about backpacking. And it will be in a voice that you just know will have the face it deserves, (unless you've engaged someone in conversation about something like, oh I don't know, your cat's funeral arrangements) and they'll go, appopos of nothing, "Well I didn't really get past Cuzco as my credit card ran out" or "I bumped into someone I knew far more repellent than I could be whilst island hopping in Greece"

These people of course deserve to die. However, my point is this- what is the difference between an empathy/knowledge poor student backpacking and someone with a house uglier than their unwanted, but tolerated children going on holiday - is there any difference - could I spend 34weeks 'checking out' the americas' and call it a holiday and could I call 7 days on the fringes of europe 'backpacking'? Well, could I?