Last spring I spent two months backpacking South America, solo female travel style, with one day pack strapped to my front and another to my back. Here are 19 tips I learned from my eight weeks abroad.

I kicked off my eight weeks of backpacking in South America in Ecuador, where I would start my backward “J” trek through the continent. I decided to give myself time to explore Ecuador while keeping my itinerary a little “looser.” The only thing I had booked was my first three nights in Quito. I’m so glad I left myself open to everything I experienced in Ecuador.

I tell you what, I am a sucker for positive reinforcement. Give me a motivational quote on a coaster, the back of a t-shirt, scratched into a wall or spelled out with food, and I will feel automatically empowered. So you besta believe, when I see any and every type of could-be motivation while I’m traveling, I capture it. These are 15 of my more recent finds.

This isn’t the comprehensive list we all love and adore BUT I believe it’s just as important of one - it’s the random stuff that you don’t always think to pack but praise yourself when you do. During my two months backpacking South America, these are some items that came in handy during my trip.