Welcome to the first episode of the Realistic Backpackers podcast. After just arriving home from a backpacking trip, the girls catch up on how life is back in the UK and Ireland, especially since Abi was away for 2 years! The girls explain who they are, and what their backpacking history is. They're both huge lovers of travel, but Shireen explains what it was like before she took the plunge to start travelling in September 2022. Shireen and Abi met by chance in a hostel in Bangkok, and when Shireen was a brand new traveler, Abi really took her under her wing, and showed her the ropes. And what was a chance meeting, turned into so many experiences. It may be September, but the girls both still have HUGE travel plans for the rest of the year, getting to see family after 5 years, going to an F1 race in the Middle East and ticking another of the 7 wonders of the world off the list. As with every episode, the girls wrap up with a chaotic story they've found themselves in, this time including a storm, an lawnmower engine and flying cockroaches. Helpful Links: Connect on Instagram: Shireen: @shireenaroundtheworld_ Abi: @abi_chapman Conntect on Tiktok: @therealisticbackpackers