Introduction
If you’ve got a travel bug, welcome to the club. I’m in it, too. It’s not an exclusive club by any means; lots of people love to travel, but only some of them are addicted. If you’re reading this article and wondering whether or not you qualify as a travel addict, here are some signs:
You plan your vacations around places you want to see.
If you have a list of places you want to visit and a list of things you want to do at each place, then chances are good that you’re a travel addict.
Travel addicts plan their vacations around the places they want to see. They don’t just go anywhere; they choose destinations based on how many items they can check off their bucket list while they’re there. The more items on the list, the better!
You may even have multiple lists: one for places in general and another specifically for hotels or resorts where those locations are located (so if someone asks what type of vacationer you are, it’s not always easy for them to figure out).
You’ve started planning for your next vacation before you’re back from your last one.
You love to travel. You can’t wait to get back on the road, and you’re already thinking about where your next trip will be. If this sounds like you, then there’s a good chance that you are a travel addict.
Here are some signs that may indicate that:
- You’ve started planning for your next vacation before you’re back from your last one.
- When someone asks what their favorite place is, they don’t hesitate before saying “It depends.” (They can’t decide between two or three different locations.)
When other people say, “Yeah, I’m going on vacation,” you get a little jealous and wish you were going, too.
You have a hard time imagining a job that doesn’t involve travel. You love to travel and would rather do it than stay home, even if it means taking an extra day off in order to take your family on an excursion. If someone tells you about their upcoming vacation plans, it can be difficult for you not to get jealous.
When other people say “Yeah, I’m going on vacation,” you get a little jealous and wish you were going too–or perhaps even more so than when they say they’re going somewhere exciting like Europe or Africa (which is pretty much all of them).
You’ve had the same passport since 1998.
If you’ve had the same passport since 1998 and it’s starting to show its age, it might be time for a renewal. The process is easy enough: Just head over to the U.S. Department of State website and fill out an application form, then send off your old passport (along with any other documentation required) along with a check or money order for $135 USD ($145 if you live outside of the continental United States). You can either mail everything in yourself or take it into one of their offices–there are locations all over America where they’ll help walk through the process in person.
Once they receive all of your documents, expect up to six weeks before receiving your renewed document back by mail; if this sounds like too long of wait time then consider taking advantage of one of those expedited services that offer same-day service at an additional cost (typically around $60).
You can’t imagine having a job that requires you to stay in one place all year long.
As a travel addict, you have an innate desire to see the world. You can’t imagine having a job that requires you to stay in one place all year long.
The benefits of traveling are endless, but here’s why I think it’s so important:
- It allows us as humans to see how other cultures live and work together; this gives us insight into how we can improve our own lives and communities at home.
- It helps us find ourselves by allowing us the freedom of exploring who we really are without any distractions from society or family members’ expectations of what they want out of life (or even worse–what they expect from YOU!).
You go through withdrawal symptoms when you’re not traveling.
If you’re a travel addict, you may notice that when you’re not on the road or in some exotic location, your body goes into withdrawal. You feel restless and anxious. Your sleep patterns are off, so much so that it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. You find yourself unable to concentrate on work or other tasks at home – even watching TV becomes difficult!
You might even feel like your life is passing by without having really lived it at all because all of this time has been spent working towards trips rather than actually being abroad (or close enough).
When you talk about the places you’ve been and the places you want to visit, it’s like music to someone else’s ears.
When you talk about the places you’ve been and the places you want to visit, it’s like music to someone else’s ears. You have a lot of stories to tell and that’s because your life is one big adventure.
You are always interested in other people’s stories too. If someone mentions they’ve been somewhere interesting or cool, there will be a sparkle in your eyes as if they just told a secret that only the two of you know about!
You’re also good at telling these stories–your friends love hearing about all of your adventures but what makes them even more special is how well-told they are! They can’t help but get caught up in the excitement as if they were experiencing it themselves (which sometimes happens).
If being home makes you feel restless, it might be time to visit a travel counselor.
If you’re feeling restless and need to get away, but can’t afford to go on a vacation, it might be time to visit a travel counselor. A travel counselor can help you plan a trip that fits your budget. They also have access to deals and promotions that are not available online or through other means of advertising.
Conclusion
If being home makes you feel restless, it might be time to visit a travel counselor. They can help you figure out why travel is so important to you and how to make sure that it remains part of your life even when you’re not on vacation.
