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PODCAST

BackPackTrack

Welcome to Backpacktrack! The SOLO Travel Podcast for people who think “One Backpack” is a lifestyle. I’m Mells, your certified German potato who somehow swapped bread and bureaucracy for missed flights, hostel chaos and way too much oversharing. If you’ve ever dreamed of running away with a backpack (or just need a laugh), this podcast is your sign.

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

00:10:52

Matcha Made Me Puke… So Of Course I Love It Now!

BackPackTrack ·

2026/01/12

I used to hate matcha 🤢🍵Like actually hate it.It made me gag during my first tea ceremony in Japan 🇯🇵 and I was fully convinced the hype was ridiculous.Fast forward a few years ⏳ and somehow I became that person who drinks bitter matcha with just water and no sugar 🍃🍵In this episode I talk about why my opinion flipped, why I do not care about fancy matcha lattes 🥛✨, and why sometimes the things we hate at first are the ones we grow into.Yes, it tastes like grass 🌱No, I do not want sugar

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00:14:43

The Only Advice I’ll Ever Give You: Leave!

BackPackTrack ·

2026/01/05

Sometimes the best advice isn’t complicated.It’s uncomfortable. It’s scary. And it’s simple: LEAVE!In this episode, I talk about why leaving home, routines, and comfort zones changes you and why every powerful lesson I’ve ever learned started with walking away. ✈️🌍No life-coaching. Just honest thoughts from the road. 🎒✨

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00:06:22

This is it. This is the end...🫠

BackPackTrack ·

2025/12/29

This is the end of this podcast...foooooor 2025! I am joking 🤡Thank you so much for your support and I hope I will see you see you next year ✨🫶

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00:11:50

What Christmas Feels Like in Japan!

BackPackTrack ·

2025/12/22

Last Christmas I gave you my heart…Yeah. Same songs, same chaos, every single year.This year is my third Christmas away from home and this time I’m spending it in Japan.No family dinners, no days off, no big traditions. Christmas here is more about couples, fancy dates, KFC buckets and then… going to work on the 25th like it’s any other day.In this episode I talk about what Christmas in Japan actually feels like.The weird parts, the pretty parts, Tokyo’s insane illuminations, Christmas markets,

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00:23:01

I’m Not Rich, I Just Travel Cheap!

BackPackTrack ·

2025/12/15

Everyone thinks solo travel is expensive.Everyone also thinks I’m rich.Spoiler: I’m not.I worked my ass off for years and then learned how to travel cheap without hating my life. No fancy hotels, no aesthetic brunches, no “Eat Pray Love” nonsense. Just hostels, street food, volunteering, questionable dinners made of cookies and instant noodles, and a very honest look at what budget travel actually means.In this episode I talk about how I afford long-term solo travel, why hostels are underrated, why

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00:15:20

JLPT N4 Chaos: How It Really Feels to Take the...

BackPackTrack ·

2025/12/08

Today I’m dragging you with me into the chaos that is the JLPT N4. Apparently many of you love hearing about daily life in Japan… so here you go: I took a Japanese language test and absolutely got humbled.The JLPT is split into three parts:1 vocabulary/kanji, 2. grammar + reading, and 3. listening. Trust me, none of them were playing...at least for me!In this episode I share what the test was really like, how unprepared I actually felt, what shocked me, and how it feels to take an exam in a

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00:13:08

Studying in Japan: The Part No One Mentions

BackPackTrack ·

2025/12/02

Studying in Japan is wild! The language is hard, the bureaucracy is crazy, but you end up making a bunch of friends at school. The beginning feels tough and messy, and you basically never have enough time for anything… but somehow it’s exciting, funny, and insanely rewarding.Would I do it again? Definitely. ✨🇯🇵

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00:16:31

My Daily Dose of Japanese Routine (Unfiltered)

BackPackTrack ·

2025/11/25

Ever wondered what a real day in Japan looks like when you’re not an aesthetic Tokyo girl living off matcha and unlimited free time?Yeah… welcome to my life.In this episode I walk you through my daily routine in Japan: waking up too late, rushing to work, smelling like fish even though I’m vegetarian, getting yelled at in fast Japanese I absolutely do not understand, spending my entire salary at convenience stores, and pretending bouldering will fix my life.It’s chaotic, it’s messy, it’s exhausting

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00:18:06

Fails: The Art of Messing Up Your Own Trip

BackPackTrack ·

2025/11/18

In this episode I basically expose myself for being the kind of person who books a “perfect trip,” only to have everything fall apart immediately. My yoga school ghosted me right after taking my deposit, my airline cancelled my flight 20 hours before departure, I rage-quit India, fell for a suspiciously good last-minute deal, misread the date like an absolute legend, missed my connection, got shipped to Qatar, and arrived 32 hours later questioning my life choices.And the best part? I thought I

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00:21:44

Romanticize Your Life (But Keep It Real)

BackPackTrack ·

2025/11/11

We all know the trend: romanticize your life. Sounds cute, looks aesthetic, but what does it actually mean when life isn’t picture-perfect? In this episode, I talk about how we often make our memories look shinier than they were and why that’s not always a bad thing.From lonely hostel nights to “magical” hikes that were actually hell, I’m diving into the fine line between appreciating the small things and straight-up lying to yourself. Because sometimes romanticizing your life helps you survive it

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00:17:06

Japan’s Real-Life Anime Moment

BackPackTrack ·

2025/11/04

Ever wondered what it’s like to live inside an anime? 🇯🇵Well… I kinda did. I got the chance to join a real Japanese school festival....... and it was exactly like the ones you see in anime: classrooms turned into cafés, students welcoming guests, decorations everywhere, and food made with a level of organization that only Japan could pull off.In this episode, I share what it was really like to experience Japanese school life from the inside, not as a tourist, but as a guest.No chaos, no stress,

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00:33:50

Before You Go to New Zealand… LISTEN TO THIS!

BackPackTrack ·

2025/10/28

So, you’re planning a trip to New Zealand? 🇳🇿Great choice — but before you start packing your hiking boots and a year’s worth of instant noodles, listen to this episode.I’m sharing everything I wish someone had told me before I went: how long you actually need, which island is worth your time, how chaotic the weather really gets, and why buying your own car is the single smartest thing you can do.From surviving the Devil’s Staircase to freezing showers in rivers (yes, that happened), this is your

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00:14:13

Nothing Needs to Last Forever ✨ My Biggest Life Lesson

BackPackTrack ·

2025/10/21

We grow up being fed the fairytale: one career path, one soulmate, one “forever” friendship. But let’s be honest—that’s a trap. While traveling, I had one of my biggest realizations: nothing actually needs to last forever.Life works better in chapters. Jobs, people, places—they come, they shape you, and sometimes they go. And that’s not failure, that’s freedom. The pressure to “hold on forever” dropped off my shoulders the moment I saw life as a series of chapters instead of one rigid storyline.In

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00:19:20

My Go-To Travel Apps

BackPackTrack ·

2025/10/14

Alright, let’s get straight to it: these are my go-to travel apps. The ones I actually use on the road, the ones that saved my ass more than once, and yes—the ones I keep recommending even though I sometimes curse at them. If you’re wondering which apps are worth the storage space on your phone, this episode is basically your cheat sheet🌍📱In this episode, I share the apps that make traveling a little less chaotic (and sometimes more fun):Google Maps – still the king of not getting lost.Maps.me –

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00:23:12

Why Traveling RUINS Your Life!

BackPackTrack ·

2025/10/07

Solo travelling ruined my life – and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 🌍✈️When I first booked that one-way ticket to New Zealand, I thought travel would magically solve all my problems. Instead, I got six weeks of loneliness, restless hostel-hopping, public transport disasters and way too much small talk. 🚌💤But then something changed. A stranger sat down next to me in a hostel garden in Picton – and that conversation shifted my entire perspective. From there, solo travelling stopped being a

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00:16:20

Lost in Translation: Why Working Without...

BackPackTrack ·

2025/09/30

Ever tried working in a place where you barely understand a word? Spoiler: it’s chaotic, hilarious, and honestly one of the best confidence boosts you can get.In this episode I share my work experience in Japan — yes, I’m currently hustling in a sushi restaurant, armed with only basic Japanese and a lot of hand gestures. From ordering mix-ups to unintentional comedy, I explain why everyone should, at least once in their life, work in a country where you don’t fully understand the language.Because

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00:29:53

Where to Start Backpacking? 🌍 The Honest Starter Pack

BackPackTrack ·

2025/09/23

Everyone wants to know: “What’s the best country to start backpacking?” Easy answer? There isn’t one. Honest answer? Some countries will hug you like a banana pancake hostel breakfast, others will slap you in the face with a culture shock and a bus ride from hell.In this episode I break down the fight: 🎒 Backpacker Disneyland (aka Australia & New Zealand), cheap chaos (Southeast Asia), and the wild cards (South America & Africa). We’ll talk Work & Travel “freedom” (translation: farm

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00:29:05

Fails: How to get scammed!

BackPackTrack ·

2025/09/16

Ever wondered how many fails you can collect in Sri Lanka before it counts as a full-time job? 🌴 Let’s just say… enough for a whole episode. Tune in for Tuk-Tuk traps, wrong turns, and the sacks that kept me humble.In this episode I dive into all the expensive lessons Sri Lanka had to offer:🚖 Overpriced taxis 🛺 Tuk-tuk rides that turned into scams🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Tour guides with very creative price tags🌶️ Spice gardens that spiced up only the billBecause sometimes solo travel isn’t about finding

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00:17:35

Backpack vs. Suitcase: Why I Chose Chronic Back Pain...

BackPackTrack ·

2025/09/09

Suitcases look cute… until the first staircase or cobblestone turns them into a useless drama queen. 🎭 Meanwhile, my backpack? Sure, it ruined my posture, but at least it never quit on me.In this episode I unpack (pun intended) the real fight of the century: 🎒 Backpack vs. 🧳 Suitcase. Spoiler: the suitcase never stood a chance. And while we’re at it, let’s talk about what you actually should pack — and why choosing the “right” backpack is way harder than anyone admits.🎒 In this episode:Backpack

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00:19:07

10 Things You Should Plan – Unless Airport Panic Is...

BackPackTrack ·

2025/09/02

I packed last-minute.I forgot things.I suffered.Here are 10 things you should actually plan before your next trip – so you don’t end up panicking at the airport!In this episode I cover:🧳 10 things you should plan before boarding a plane – even if you're a proud chaos traveler🛂 Why “I’ll figure it out” doesn’t work at immigration (spoiler: they don’t vibe with spontaneity)💉 13 vaccinations later and my arm is still not speaking to me🔋 Why your power bank deserves more love than most humans🧼

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22 results

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