Are you addicted to travel like I am? Believe me, it didn’t start out this way.
I didn’t grow up traveling to far-flung places around the globe. Every now and then my family would visit our grandparents in San Francisco and some family friends in Utah, but for the most part we stayed local.
And life was great.
I never felt like I was missing out: most of my friends and family members lived close by and I didn’t see the appeal in travel. I had everything I needed within a short distance: family, friends, mountains, the beach, Disneyland, museums and cultural exposure.
I never imagined that I would want to hop on a plane to the other side of the world, be surrounded by people who were speaking a foreign language, and rely on my feet to get me from point “A” to everywhere else.
I went off to college in Idaho, graduated, and then moved back to Southern California to work at the Disneyland Resort. I was living the dream. I then took a job opportunity at the University of Utah and relocated to Salt Lake City at the end of 2009, where I believed I would permanently relocate.
Then things changed.
I got the travel bug when I moved to Utah. I didn’t feel it at first, and had a full-blown addiction before I knew what was happening: I applied to and got into the Peace Corps; I studied abroad; I started a travel blog…the list goes on and on.
I started to blow through my vacation days at work with the same rapidity that a potty-training toddler goes through pull-ups.
I would front-load my week with extra hours worked, allowing me to start my weekend that much sooner.
I would take red-eye flights and come straight to work from the airport.
My Google searches were centered around budget flights, currency exchange rates, and public transit maps.
Can you relate? Are you addicted to travel? Am I addicted to travel?
Oh, yeah.
If you’re in denial or haven’t asked yourself that question yet, take a look at my list of 10 signs you’re addicted to travel and ask yourself again:
Are you addicted to travel?
#1: You’re Giddy Over Passport Stamps
You’re at the airport, waiting in line at customs, covertly judging which line will move the quickest.
You finally pick the line without the large families and appears to consist of mainly experienced travelers.
The line is slowly creeping towards that metal box where the customs officials sit.
You pull out your passport and lovingly stroke the cover, silently telling it that it’s about to get another stamp.
You hand it over to the official, where they do the up-down-up-down-up routine, verifying that you are indeed the stone-cold sociopath your passport picture displays.
Finally, you see them look down and hear that oddly satisfying “thud” as the stamp finally makes contact with a clean page in your passport.
You’re handed back your passport as you walk past the officials, finally in your next country.
Opening up your passport, you find the new stamp and caress the page, careful not to run your fingers over the drying ink.
YAAAASSS!
No? Just me?
Liar.
#2: You Understand that Map Obsession is a Thing
Do you have multiple maps tacked up on the wall in your home? Office? Looking around, how many do you see? I have a large one at the office, directly in my line of sight anytime I’m at my desk. I purchased it a few years ago and just happened to find at tack board the exact same size…so of COURSE I affixed the map and hung it up.
At a previous job, I had the map up next to my desk with color-coordinating pins stuck into places where I’d been and where I was headed. My coworkers and I would mail the office postcards from our trips and place them around the map.
I won’t talk about how many maps I have at home…
Or if you don’t have a lot hanging around your house, do you find yourself staring at a map and “discovering” new places that were unknown to you?
Do you trace your finger along the equator to see how many islands fall along it?
Do you get your face within inches of the map (or even Google maps) to see if you can read the names of all the islands in Micronesia?
Or figure out where the South Sandwich Islands are?
Do you even bother with those geography quizzes that are so prevalent on Facebook or BuzzFeed, knowing that you’ll get 100% because you’re one of the few people who can name every country in Europe?
And have had the 50 states memorized since 5th grade?
And know that Africa is a continent and not a country?
Yeah, map obsession is a thing and manifests itself in a variety of forms.
#3: You Always Seem to Have a Trip Planned
Just yesterday, I was asked by someone at church where my next trip was taking me. Even though we don’t talk on a regular basis, she knew that I love to travel and always am planning my next adventure.
And even when I’m not actively traveling or have flights booked for my next adventure, it’s almost a guarantee that I’m eyeing a few destinations and bucket list-worthy expeditions.
I find myself already planning my next trip as soon as the current one finishes, and sometimes even while I’m on the airplane home.
The thought of planning the next adventure brings out a lovely OCD Rachelle that I hadn’t known before.
Related: How to Choose your Next Destination
Related: How to Satisfy Your Travel Bug Between Trips
#4: You have Become a Packing Master
When I first started traveling, I thought everyone folded their clothes, brought along most of their wardrobe and closets on trips, and had multiple suitcases for their shoes and gadgets.
Yeah, no.
After my first big trip to New Orleans with my besties, packing my large suitcase and trying to wing it with public transportation and walking to get from the airport to our hostel, I realized something: not only was I crazy, but now I was in a bad mood and had a suitcase with a busted wheel.
I learned from that experience, as you would hope.
I started reading packing guides and watching YouTube video tutorials.
I learned tricks on how to pack smarter and for longer.
Rolling clothes.
Using a packing cube.
Realizing that I didn’t have to pack like I was going to change my clothes three times a day.
Now I travel carry-on only and pack for a trip in about 30 minutes. Ninja-style, baby.
#5: You have Friends All Over the World
Have you gotten to the point where you describe your friends as “Nikki from Romania, Stephan from Germany, or Erin from New Zealand?” One of the benefits of traveling around the world and even within your home country is that you get to meet people from all over the world.
Even in my home country? Think about it. How many people have your home country, and even your hometown, on their bucket list?
One of the hardest things with having friends all over the world is not being able to see them and spend time with them as much as you’d like to.
Fortunately with advances in technology, staying in contact is a lot easier than it used to be.
Imagine keeping in contact with a nomadic friend before cell phones and the internet. Where would you send a letter to them? How could you check in unless they found a pay phone and were able to make a long-distance call to you?
On the flip-side, having friends all over the world makes traveling a lot more fun. You have built-in places to visit, usually a bed to crash on, and a local tour guide. Or if they’re also adventurous, maybe they can meet you in another fun destination.
#6: Experiences Mean More than Material Items to You
Aside from my car and 3 year-old GoPro, the most expensive thing I own is my mattress I bought over 5 years ago. After that? Nothing aside from living essentials. My TV is over 10 years old, my desk and couches I got for free from a friend. I don’t ever buy trinkets or household decorations and I wear the same pair of earrings every day.
I definitely wouldn’t call myself a minimalist, but I’ve noticed a drastic decrease in my material possessions over the years. As I’ve come to realize that I’m addicted to travel, I have noticed my focus has changed.
Many material items have been donated, sold, or given away. I rarely buy myself anything new and struggle with gift request ideas.
As I travel more and see how little I need to be happy, I realized that I’d rather spend my money on plane tickets and experiences rather than stuff.
I don’t remember my favorite outfit in 2015, but I definitely remember my travel abroad and all the side trips that I took!
#7: You’re Picky About Your Travel Partners
Not everyone can travel together. Friendships don’t always survive and often the best travel partners turn out to be people you never imagined.
One of the biggest reasons I mainly prefer solo travel is because good travel partners are extremely rare. Choosing someone to spend 24/7 with in a new country might not be as serious as choosing someone to marry, but it does deserve some proper thought.
When you’re lost in a foreign country, uncomfortable, tired and hungry, your true colors tend to show.
I’ve definitely had my share of ups and downs with travel partners. I’ve lost friends on a girls trip.
I strengthened friendships during road trips into the desert.
I’ve met new friends on a tropical island.
People travel differently. And if you’re addicted to travel, you carefully consider who you’d be willing to adventure with. It’s never a fun thing to have your trip ruined by a terrible travel companion!
#8: For the Love of Photography!
Although I always try to emphasize the importance of being in-the-moment above walking around with your camera to your face, it can be hard!
I’ve discovered a love for photography and realized that I have a natural talent for taking pictures. I’m not saying that I’m an Ansel Adams or anything like that, and I’m definitely not trying to put myself down or sell myself short.
Rather I understand lighting, composition, depth. I know how to frame a picture and as the years go by, I can see my style changing and improving.
Back when I studied abroad in Europe, I loved taking fun selfies. I felt like the crazy faces and random glances captured my mood and personality perfectly. It was my style and something my friends and family members looked forward to.
Then as I started to create my digital scrapbooks, they almost looked like a compilation of selfies. There was little variety. I struggled to find other pictures or had to borrow some from friends.
So, I started experimenting. I got smarter with my selfies, realizing that not all of them needed to be of mainly my face, contorted into a weird pose. I started coaching people who I asked to take my pictures (resulting in some hilarious outtakes). And then I recognized my talent and decided I preferred to be behind the camera. These days, I travel with at least 2 cameras…and sometimes 3.
What can I say? Pictures have become some of my most-prized possessions.
#9: You’ve Become a Sun-Chaser
I love watching the sunrise. There’s something magical that happens as a new day dawns, a present for the world. I’m drawn to those early morning golden lights, the stillness that can’t be found elsewhere.
I’ve driven for hours in the dark, waking up as most of the world has barely fallen asleep with the hope of catching the sunrise.
In Hawaii, it was atop the Haleakala Crater.
In Nevada, it was at the Seven Magic Mountains.
In the US Virgin Islands, it was on St. Thomas.
The bottom line? I’ll do just about anything to catch the sunrise. And sure, those sunsets are pretty magical, too.
#10: You Find Random Foreign Money Everywhere
Ever put your hand in a coat pocket for the first time in a year, only to find wadded up cash? Isn’t it just the best feeling in the world?
I was going through some old bags that I used for travel during my study abroad and I found 50 euros. Score! In another purse, a handful of coins from Poland and the Czech Republic.
And even though I’m probably not going to be taking the coins with me back to Europe (I already blew through the 50 euros paying for food at the Amsterdam airport a few months ago), they come in handy when I want to take a small something to my little nieces and nephew. Or turn that currency into a cutesy craft, thank you Pinterest!
So…are you addicted to travel too? If not, have you become addicted to travel after reading this?
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