If you’re abroad more often than you’re home, find yourself buying shampoo in carry-on sizes, and your digestive system has become immune to street food, it’s highly possible that you’ve been bitten by the travel bug. For those who have caught it, travel stops being a way to get from Point A to Point B and becomes a rush triggered by airplanes, time changes, and the sound of foreign languages.
20 Signs You Are Addicted to Travel
Don’t panic – review the following symptoms to diagnose your travel addiction:
1. You can’t stop planning your next travel destination – even when your boss might walk by your desk and catch you skiving.
2. You have mastered how to pack your life into a backpack.
3. You find yourself converting prices into different currencies.
4. You think portable tap water and fully-functioning toilets are great novelties.
5. Your suitcase is never fully unpacked.
6. The majority of your paycheck goes towards funding your next trip.
7. Home is more of a pit stop than a permanent destination.
8. Your bucket list consists mainly of places to go rather than things to do.
9. You can pack your bags in five minutes flat.
10. You can swear in several languages.
11. Having no travel plans makes you antsy.
12. Your daily routine includes checking travel websites and blogs.
13. You have learned to sleep pretty much anywhere – on a plane, in a car, on a train…
14. Being jetlagged has become the norm for you.
15. You’ve figured out which airports are smooth sailing and which to avoid.
16. You plan your life around your upcoming trips.
17. Your friends say you could put a down payment on a house with the money you spend on traveling, but you can’t figure out why anyone would want a house in the first place.
18. You’ve learned how to brew coffee in at least five different ways (one which may or may not include a sock).
19. Sprinting to catch trains and airplanes has left you fit enough to run a marathon.
20. You’ve gone skinnydipping in all five oceans.
If you can relate to the signs listed above, chances are that you’ve got a veritable travel addiction. In that case, hurry up and pack your bags before your family can slow you down with an intervention!
Which signs can you relate to? Are there any others that deserve to be added to the list?
If you’re keen to read more on travel addiction, click on this piece to find out if you have the wanderlust genes. You might also enjoy this list of things that only travel addicts will understand.
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I would say that 17 of the 20 pertain to me. For number 17, I have a house and put a 20% down payment, but that hasn't slowed my traveling at all!
Good to hear! :)
I can identify with half of these. However, I don't drink coffee so that one is completely out :)
17 for me… but I don't mind that at all! that's a brilliant post!
I can relate to a lot of these and am especially proud to be able to sleep anywhere – a vital skill!
Bonus points if you don't wake up snoring on the passenger next to you :)
The one thing I get very often these days is family/friends asking me "Where I am" instead of "How I am" ;-)
Oh no! I’m guilty!! Here’s #21. You’re planning mile runs for next year after flying 100,000 miles by August!
#21: You've grown distant from your friends and family. This is assuming you have real friends and a family; many people travel to fill in the gap caused by their absence in your life.
or, #21: (a very significant one i think, obvious though it may be) You use a backpack, not a suitcase.
#22: you know that the tastiest local food is NOT served in a 5* restaurant, but the opposite.
and also #23: you are reading this post! ;)
Great additions, I agree with all of them!
I totally display almost many of the signs.
#21 – 9 to 5 sucks BIG time & makes you feel like you are in prison!
One more #22 – Every new book you read / movie you watch makes you want to travel!
Anything by Bill Bryson makes me want to jump on a plane immediately.
I get to travel full time for my job! (And have done so for over thirty years) What do I do when vacation time rolls around? Yep, I travel. Great article.
Sounds like you've got the ideal set-up! ;)
"Your suitcase is never fully unpacked"
SO.Guilty
Yep I can relate to most of those. Except I DID put a down payment on a house and now I keep redrawing on that loan to keep travelling. My worst (or best habit) is having 2 or three holidays planned in advance before going on holidays, so that coming home doesn’t seem like forever.
And #21: your friends are surprised to see you in the country
I won't even count how many apply – I know I am a travel addict!!! Currently not working as I had to forgo my job for an amazing European adventure! Scanning travel blogs rather than job boards…..I believe my family are planning an intervention! Of course, they will have to catch me at home first. Hehehe
Great post!
One more to add…. No matter where you are or what the temperature, you constantly find yourself scouting good spots to hang a hammock.
Oh my gosh, number 5 – my suitcase is NEVER fully unpacked. I actually wrote a post about it a while back because I thought I was crazy or something for doing this but it turns out a lot of people have the same problem!
I love this list! I'm not quite there yet but I want to tick all of this points off! :)
Yep, almost all of those apply to me. I got the travel bug real bad!
I can relate to number 17 because some of my friends told me that I need to invest on owning a new pad or condo if only I can stop myself from traveling. I just explain to them that it is fun and you will see a different world out there if you go to other places. Traveling for me is like a luxury.
UH OH. Looks like i've got to see out Therapy to kick the addiction.. of course, for the same price, I could buy a train ticket….
Like some others I was a bit inocdeulrus of claims of water mains freezing with the ranges of temperatures being reported. Here in southern Minnesota minimum cover for water mains is at least 7 feet and we still see watermains freezing, but it’s usually when temps stay below 0F for a number of continuous weeks and is likely to occur where subsequent regrading has reduced the cover over an old main. Places like Ireland would probably not have frost protection factored into their design standards, but water systems are highly stressed(80-90 psi routine pressures and 150 psi as a minimum standard they must tolerate) and even in less inclement climes require a substantial cover just to protect them from the effects of passing traffic. The temps reported may be locally exceptional but the relatively short duration of the event doesn’t seem likely to drive frost down to a level that would freeze a functioning water main, even if it only has cover sufficient to meet structural requirements.The BBC story suggests that the leaks in the system appeared after the thaw, which indicates they may have a more serious problem than temporarily frozen mains. The expansion and contraction of soils that happen when a frost cycle occurs substantially weaken roadbeds and, if vehicles with large axle weights are allowed to travel on roads which are coming out of a frost cycle, significant deformations of the road surface can result. If the water system has marginal cover those deformations can cause the slip joints on the mains to come apart. If in fact that is what has happened they are looking at an incredible effort and expense to restore the integrity of the system.
I recognize myself in most lines, espexially line nr. 9. It can tell that I'm not nr.5-kind.
Tick, tick, tick… Definitely a travel addict.
Awesome post! I think #2 and #11 are my strongest addictions. I take pride in the fact I can pack my bags quickly… but I still need to sculpt it to min-min-minimal. And I'm always antsy – have a hard time staying still in one country… even if I live there, I always seem to have one foot in and one foot out.
you got me there! I spend much of my time traveling…do I have to consider myself addicted to it? well yeah..LOL but honestly i love your post!
Thank you!
Funny thing was that I was having a conversation with a colleague over coffee this morning (before I read this article) & she asked me why I haven't bought a house. I guess #17 just said it all. Well, I'm definitely a travel addict, had 14 symptoms above. Relates very well to #8. And as a spin off to that would be…."Your travel list keeps growing at the rate faster than your actual trip." LOL.
Other symptoms to be considered for the list:
1) You're craving for the food/beverages which can only be found at certain place like pho & coffee in vietnam, or fava in santorini.
2) Whenever you bump into a friend or family member, the first thing they ask is not how you were doing, but where would be your next travel destination.
I like your additions! I have to agree – even if I bring coffee back to Canada from the Dominican Republic, it doesn't taste the same made in a drip coffeemaker instead of a greca…
I can definitely relate myself to almost 90% of these symptoms… This is one disease i would love to live with ha ha…
There are definitely worse diseases out there ;)
I think I'm definitely addicted to travelling, especially this!
"13. You have learned to sleep pretty much anywhere – on a plane, in a car, on a train…"
*Zzzzz*
You had me a 2 and 17. If my life consisted in my backpack you'd see all smiles from me. Also, settle down? Really….?
I absolutely agree with this sentence "The majority of your paycheck goes towards funding your next trip." because if you're really a travel addict all you care is about your next destination. You will never care about other things like shopping but going to traveling to another country to spend holidays on.
I remember when I was saving up for my first big trip abroad (Australia at 17), I didn\’t go shopping at all for months, cooked at home everyday, didn\’t go partying and just hung out with friends at home. It felt so gratifying when I finally saved up enough — it made the trip even more rewarding in a way.
I feel ya here! :)
This is an eerie approximation of me. It's that moment when travel becomes your life, with "reality" being that something else that gets in the way isn't it!
Sure tell tale signs of a travel fanatic. I find few of them in me, though I won't call myself a diehard traveler because I like to travel once and twice in an year and that too with a primary purpose of unwinding and rejuvenating myself.I like to save enough to travel nicely in a business class, prefer to stay in a luxury resort and lots of my time is spent just relaxing in the comforts of the hotel rather than venturing out and checking out things.
But I respect those diehard travelers who are always out of their comfort zones and can travel on a shoe string budget, living in budget hotels or hostels, almost surviving and yet enjoying their stay.
Oh yes, Im TOTALLY addicted!!
Great post!
We can certainly identify with most of these. But then we already knew we're addicted as we have stopped working and rented out our home to travel indefinitely. And we're loving it.
Great to hear about your move! How long have you guys been traveling? Come visit in Spain!
Very nice and definitely true list. I sometimes catch myself doing #3 (even when I am back at home). #12 is also very true, and sometimes a bit annoying as there are so many awesome places I haven't been yet…so I get itchy for sitting at home behind my pc :).
My own signs are that I often compare exotic dishes at home (when eating out or at friends) with a certain 'mother of all dishes' in this and that country.
I am also able to start planning the next trip in my head by simply talking to other travelers at our travel destination…no rest at all :)
Ilya
#21 Whenever you talk to your friends and family about your next trip, they look at you with this sense of longing/how do you do that?!
Leaving for Bali in t-minus 20 days! Great post. My goal in life is to find a job that gives me the freedom to go whenever I want. Luckily, this whole internet thing is great for that dream :)
Hahahaha! I can relate to this blog.. Ok, so I'm addicted to travelling? Haha! :D
Awesome! I wish I have the chance to get this addiction :) Its amazing how many places in the world there are that are simply GREAT, and we wish we all had the time to accomplish these trips.
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According to your list, i am a travel junky:))
Very accurate list! Most of the list (minus the skinny dipping one & the coffee one – becos I only drink it black with 2 sugars!) rings true for me!
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I may be guilty for a few of the mentioned on the list. Ive always tried to keep my possessions (clothing, valuables etc) to a minimum, the thought of having 'stuff' all over the place makes me feel tried down. Long live the travel bug!
I'm currently trying to downsize my life as well – it's amazing how many possessions we pick up along the way! Ideally I'd be able to fit most of my things into a single suitcase… both eco- and travel-friendly. ;)
Great post – we know a thing or two about travel addiction! LOL. Love the iconic photo!
I think I have at least half of those symptoms. I'd very well like to add number 20 to the list though.
Any suggestions for a #20?
I almost fit all of the signs! :)
I'm 18 years old and have been out of the country more times than any of my friends or family and i just can not get enough travel time the first 17 and 19 describe me to a tee…. 18 and 20 dont apply because i have yet to go skinny dipping once and i dont like or drink coffee =) so i guess my theory is true im addicted
I love this article. I definitely relate to some of these. My worst problem is in between travel trips. At first I am thrilled to be home but within 1 – 2 weeks I am practically beside myself with itchy feet to go somewhere new.
Hahaha.. Funny list. I can relate to a few of these. I need to go travelling at least once a year and always know my next travel destination by the time I'm sitting on the plane, on my way home. It keeps me sane.
I´ve travelled so much now that even going back home feels like an alian experience.
this post says everything! confirmed all my doubts! :)
Great post..i can definitly tick a few of those lol but what about all the itchy feet you get from sweating lol
Awesome. Now I just need to get on with number 20…
Travel addiction used to be called dromomania and treated as a mental disorder.
Hahaha, I never heard of that term before. The wikipedia article about it is quite interesting:
"Dromomania, also travelling fugue, is an uncontrollable psychological urge to wander.[1] People with this condition spontaneously depart from their routine, travel long distances and take up different identities and occupations. Months may pass before they return to their former identities. The term comes from the Greek: dromos (running) and mania (insanity).
More generally, the term is sometimes used to describe people who have a strong emotional or even physical need to be constantly traveling and experiencing new places, often at the expense of their normal family, work, and social lives."
I think we might be mentally ill!
now i guess I am already addicted to it.
DO you break out in a cold sweat when you don't have your next holiday planned? Do your relatives barely recognise you anymore?
Of at least 6 I would say check (1, 6, 8, 11, 12, 16). Little addiction is coming up yes ;)!
#24. You have memorised your passport number. #25. Most of the people you follow on Twitter are travellers. STOP IT! Lock me away!
Lol- brilliant post! I can identify with all of these! Next year, for the 1st time in 15 years, i'm not supposed to travel, but become more financially stable. I'm become depressed just thinking about it! Definitely going through cold turkey!
I'd say I am a self-confessed travel addict. Number 8, "Your bucket list consists mainly of places to go rather than things to do." is spot on.
Haha number 17 is my mantra! :)
judging by this post, i'm 100% travel junkey!
Very much spot on. Travel is me. I do own a place but that's not where I really call home, it is my storage and I rent out 2/3 of it… It's centrally located so I easily can come and go.