I Seriously Think Travel May have Ruined my Life

I Think Travel May have Ruined my Life....but in a Very Good Way.  Or in a very bad way depending on how you look at the way I live my life and travel in general.

I've been thinking about travel a lot lately.  Well, more than usual because I'm always thinking about travel.  Maybe I've been thinking about it more lately because it seems like it's been forever since I went anywhere outside of Canada.  Many years ago, I made a promise to myself that I would go somewhere outside of my home country at least once a year. This year, I broke that promise.  I opted for a staycation due to a number of factors, including financial limitations, work obligations and the simple fact that we had a phenomenal summer here in Atlantic Canada and I wanted to enjoy every second of it!. The furthest I went was Newfoundland for a week.  If you are not up on your Canadian geography, Newfoundland is only an hour-long flight or 6-hour ferry ride away and is right next to my home province of Nova Scotia.

But now, as I sit here on a cold winter night and come to the realization that the last time I left my comfort zone and explored a different part of the world was in September of 2016 when I went to Scotland.  That's a long time ago.  At least it is to someone who has a travel addiction and has not fed that addiction in over two years!

I may not have traveled much lately but I certainly go on a lot of adventures even if they are within two hours of my house.  I had an incredible summer and found lots of new places on Cape Breton Island and explored some unfamiliar territory.  But now that the beach days and long summer nights are long gone and winter has set in, I am thinking about all the places I have yet to see in this world.  And when I get thinking about travel and the traveling I'm not doing, my mind shifts to the travel I already did and how those adventures shaped my life.  It also makes me realize how I feel a little bit sorry for the people around me who have never traveled, have no desire to travel and will never experience the benefits of immersing oneself into a new land and a new culture.  They have no idea why I am so crazy about packing a suitcase, jumping on a long-haul flight and traipsing around a place far, far away where I know no one and have no real reason to be there.  When my brain goes into overload thinking about these things, I also get an urge to try and persuade as many people as possible to join me on an adventure so I can show them what they are missing.  I imagine myself doing this in much the same annoying way they try to persuade me to grow up, give up traveling, have a normal life and settle down. 

Over and over again, I see my friends and family making comments on social media about how some places are so dangerous to travel to and how the world is such a scary place and blah blah blah.  They berate me with stories of how women are raped and murdered when traveling alone and how terrorist attacks are becoming more frequent.  The more I roll my eyes, the more persistent they become in their quest to change me into a domestic homebody who has no desire to go anywhere except to the grocery store. 

I cant think of any negative effects travel has had on me except that I miss it like crazy when I'm not doing it.  Travel has had profound positive effects on every aspect of my life.  It has broadened my way of thinking, it has made me smarter and it has made me look at the world in a whole new way.  It frustrates me to no end how no one else sees this.  All anyone sees is me going on vacation, wasting time and procrastinating the "adulting" stage by "running away from real life".  If they only knew the positive effects travel has actually had on my adult life!  The thing is, the things I see as positive effects on my life, are actually seen as negative things by the modern society that subconsciously limits us to a robotic life that is set up before we even begin living it. If I can change just one person's mind and make them see that they don't need to be trapped in that cycle.  If I can encourage just one person to buy a plane ticket to a far away land and have them see what they are missing and how travel can positively change their life, I've done my job.  

My first real big trip as an adult was the one I took with my sister to Las Vegas.  No one batted an eye at the announcement of this trip.  I presume it was because I wasn't going alone and I was traveling to a country deemed safe in most people's eyes.  However, upon our return, I got some real funny looks and comments when I told people about how we rented a car and drove around in the desert for several days.  I realized then and there that any travels taken off the well-beaten path in unconventional manners would be frowned upon by pretty much everyone. I also soon realized that being a woman who travels alone raises a lot of eyebrows.

The fact that I am a woman who travels alone to far away places is not the only thing that gets a negative reaction from people.  I live what I consider to be a very unconventional lifestyle compared to the majority of people.  I do my own thing.  And I do it at my own pace. And a lot of the things I do revolve around planning my next big trip.  For some bizarre reason, many people have a problem with this! I don't know if they are jealous or mad because I'm not joining the herd and carrying my weight the way I am supposed to in their eyes or if they just like to try to control others.  Perhaps they are miserable in their own lives and want me to join them, but who am I to judge. I don't see anything wrong with living a minimalist lifestyle.  I don't see anything wrong with cutting certain unnecessary items out of my budget to save for a trip.  I don't see anything wrong with not having fancy ornaments and material objects around my apartment.  I don't see anything wrong with living in a small apartment!  I don't see anything wrong with turning down invites to dinners and expensive outings that I don't like participating in anyway and I don't see a problem with spending some of my hard-earned cash on something I enjoy doing. But time and time again, I am faced with insulting questions and attempts to change my life around to suit others rather than continuing on in a way that's suitable to me.

When I announce that I am going on a trip, I get two different responses: 1) "Wow that sounds fantastic, enjoy! OR 2) "You are going away again.  Where do you get the money to go on these trips?  Don't you think you should be thinking about settling down?"  The majority are in the second group, unfortunately.  First of all, due to work obligations, I only get the chance to go away on a big trip once a year.  That's not a lot.  Second of all, I tried settling down, it's not for me. Maybe I need to be paired with someone who likes to travel and live a non-materialistic lifestyle rather than spend their life keeping up with the Jones'. These people are hard to find.  I work, my chores get done, I'm responsible. I just don't get what the problem is!

The most insulting is the questions about money.  The people around me seem to have this misconception about me and money.  Either they think I am rich or I go into debt using credit cards to travel.  The reality is neither is true.  The same people who ask me how I can afford to travel are the same people who shop for new clothes every other week, smoke cigarettes, go out to expensive restaurants and clubs every weekend, gamble and buy expensive electronics and knick knacks that they don't need.  I shop for clothes once a year and more than half that shopping is done in thrift shops.  When someone invites me to go shopping, I try to think of ways to play dead or disappear as I would rather shoot myself in the left foot than spend a sunny summer day in a mall dipping into my travel fund to buy things I don't need.  Speaking of the travel fund...that's another sore spot with many people.  They are appalled that I even have this!  To them it's appalling that I would have a fund put aside for travel but none put aside for my future kids' education (meanwhile, I don't have kids and don't plan on having any) or for a down-payment on a house (what do I need a house for when I'm alone and move around so much!) I don't smoke or drink excessively and my outings on the weekend involve hiking or snowshoeing or going to the beach and I bring a picnic. I might eat at a restaurant once or twice a year.  My one trip that I take each year might cost 2000 dollars at most and that is on the higher end.  Now, If I sit down and add up all the expenses that many of the people who question me have (and yes, in my frustration and confusion, I have sat down and done the calculations), they spend THOUSANDS more on material things than I do on experiences. No material thing has done for me what my travel experiences have.  I wouldn't trade those memories and experiences for anything! And anyway, after seeing how happy many people in this world are with so little, I realized long ago that money and materials are not the key to a peaceful life.

I feel that I have everything I need and at times, I feel like I actually might have too much.  I am constantly downsizing to have more space and less things to drag around with me.  I live in a small apartment that is the perfect size for me and it's nice.  At least to me it's nice. To others?  Not so much.  I have furniture but it's older and mismatched.  I have a bed but it's well-worn and has claw marks from where my beloved kitty scratches in the middle of the night for me to pick him up and put him in the bed to cuddle with me.  I have dishes and appliances but they are not fancy, modern shiny things.  They work and do the job I need them to do and that's fine with me! I don't have lots of ornaments and pictures and pretty things scattered about because I am trying to keep my life simple and as less cluttered as possible.

My cherished possessions are my cat, my family photo albums and cherished items that belonged to my mother who has passed away.  My laptop is pretty important too as it helps me to indulge in the things i love - writing, blogging, photography and travel planning.  But when certain people come to my house, they loudly and rudely proclaim their distaste at my lifestyle. They say things like "how can you live in such a small space?" or "you know you can get matching sheets and affordable modern furniture at Wal Mart" or how about "you certainly haven't honed in on your womanly domestic instincts".  Now, I have to mention...MY APARTMENT IS CLEAN AND UNCLUTTERED WITH WOOD FLOORS AND A LOVELY KITCHEN AND COSY LIVING AREA!!  In other woods, it's far from a dump!  I have a busy, active life.  I work hard and play just as hard.  I have more important things to worry about than whether my sheets match or my towels don't have a few frays in them.  The people who make these comments to me, on the other hand, have next to no hobbies, spend all their free time cleaning and watching TV and gossiping about how they don't like the way other people live their lives. Not that that's a problem for me, everyone has their own idea of fun and are free to live their life how they want.  I wonder if it occurs to these people that I am hurting no one by living my life this way and I never make insulting comments to them about their lives.

The people around me often criticize me for being frugal and saving money for travel. I don't have a whole lot of money as it is, so I like to save a little so I can do some of the things I enjoy.  Travel happens to be one of the things I enjoy.  Why would I go shopping, eat at a restaurant, go to a movie, go out drinking or go to a casino when I don't particularly enjoy doing those things. I do them from time to time in order to spend some time with friends (even though they rarely bend and do things I enjoy...I can just imagine the reaction I would get if I suggested to have a picnic in the park rather than go to a restaurant!) and show that I am willing to be flexible.  They laugh at me when I make my own coffee at home or take my own lunch to work rather than eating out.  They roll their eyes at me when I refuse to join them at the mall for the latest sale that "can't be missed" or when I use coupons when buying groceries.  They question my sanity when I say I don't subscribe to cable, satellite, Netflix or any other television service.  They call me a cheapskate, hippie and weirdo.  They think I'm downright nuts when I work every hour of overtime that is offered to me so I can bank a little more money for my next adventure. But I can see the jealousy written all over their faces when I tell them I just booked a sunny beach vacation in the dead cold of a Maritime winter.  All those extra savings allow me to travel this vast, beautiful world of ours that I just can't get enough of. 

Travel runs my life in many ways.  Every time I do go shopping for anything, I make sure to shop where I can get points towards travel with my credit card or Airmiles. At times, I eat less, drive less and work more...all for the sake of travel.

When trying to place an event in my life on a timeline, I often use a trip I took as the reference point.  That's how important travel is to me.  The trips I've taken have all had major impacts on my life and have become important milestones in my timeline.  When I'm not traveling, I'm thinking about travel, writing about travel, trying to come up with ways to travel and trying to convince others to travel more.

If you have never taken a trip outside your home country, I strongly urge you to do so ASAP.  I can't express enough how important it is for us to indulge in new cultures, have a change of scenery once and a while and see new places.  Getting out of the safe zone and venturing out into the big, bad world makes it seem a lot less big and bad.  But don't blame me if you get hooked.  It happens to most travelers who just can't get enough of the beauty of this planet and its people.

The travel bug has certainly messed with my head but in so many good ways!  It has turned my life upside down, changed my perspective, changed my view of the world and everything around me and has made me a better person in more ways than I can count.  I don't see any international trips in my immediate future except in my dreams where I will dream about the next time I roll out my trusted old suitcase and board a plane to yet another far away land. 

72 Hours in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland....Now Go!!

Continued from:
Part 1 - http://anotherdayforgrace.blogspot.ca/2017/02/my-journey-to-scotlands-cities.html
Part 2 - http://anotherdayforgrace.blogspot.ca/2017/03/next-stop-edinburgh-scotland.html

Although my hotel room was very clean and comfortable, I noticed  a major issue upon exiting the shower; the floor was full of water. I did everything I could to prevent it but when I informed staff about the issue, they reacted in a manner that made me think they had dealt with this many times before and that perhaps there was no way to prevent it. The lady at the front desk said she would send someone to clean it up ASAP but no one came by the time I left and no one had come by the time I came back later that evening. I ended up cleaning it myself.

That first day in Edinburgh was anything but relaxing...exactly how I like it. I love to be on the move and doing things. I'm not an idle person so the thought of relaxing in front of the TV in my hotel room didn't even cross my mind. It was still mid-afternoon by the time I hit the street and started to immerse myself into Edinburgh life. I only had to walk for about twenty seconds and I was on the Royal Mile. I walked up the street where crowds of tourists and commuters were gathered.

I didn't know where the Royal Mile would take me. I didn't bother to look at a map. I prefer the unknown. I kept walking past shops, restaurants and centuries-old buildings that would become familiar once I learned my way around. I eventually ended up at the entrance to Edinburgh Castle. I didn't go any further as I already had plans to visit the castle on my last day in the city but at least I found out how to get there!



I took my time going back down the Royal Mile. I stopped to watch some interesting (and downright bizarre and equally intriguing) buskers.  I walked into a few shops to get some ideas of what to buy as souvenirs for friends and family back home and I took note of restaurants and cafes that may be good options for a meal later on. I took note of a Starbucks right on the main street but vowed to only patronize it as a last resort. I can have Starbucks anytime I want at home. When I'm traveling I prefer to sample the unfamiliar and local.


As I walked along the Royal Mile, I noticed some peculiar things. I noticed that traffic lights go from green to yellow to red and back to yellow before turning green as opposed to just red to green to yellow back home. I also noticed that the crosswalks are set further back from the lights than I am used to and, after seeing someone get almost taken out by a car while trying to cross where the lights are, I realized why. I also learned that going to the bathroom can be a bit of a pain...especially if you don't have any coins on hand. Those stupid pay bathrooms around Scotland were the only annoyance I experienced during my travels around the country. I've never had to go through a toll booth to pee before.

Since I didn't have anything planned that afternoon, I decided to do a bit of shopping.  After exchanging some Canadian currency for local currency, I learned that Scotland has it's own money. It's equal to the British Pound but it looks different. I had no idea what to get for souvenirs but, judging by the stores on the Royal Mile, plaid, cashmere and tweed were in full supply.  I found some beautiful scarves for the women in my life (including myself) but the men were a little harder to shop for. Most of the ball caps and shirts were branded with golf and football slogans. I finally found some that simply said "Scotland" on them. Everything seemed very reasonably-priced despite what I had heard from other travelers to the UK about everything being super expensive. I also picked out some key-chains, fridge magnets and local snacks and my shopping was complete in under an hour. I hate shopping but I particularly hate shopping when I am traveling. I try to get it done right away so I don't have to worry about it anymore. With very little space to pack anything else in my carry-on luggage, I was unable to buy too much anyway.


One of the tours I had pre-booked before my departure was a hop-on, hop-off bus ticket for a city tour on a double decker bus through Edinburgh Bus Tours. I was still wide awake so I made my way to the bus stop and waited for the big red bus to come by.Although  I didn't take a jacket with me and I knew it would be cold on the top outside deck of the bus, I took a seat there anyway. How often do I get to tour a city on top of a double decker bus? Figured I might as well get the most of it. It was quite cold and although there were seats available on the bottom inside deck, I toughed it out and stayed up top. We passed through some areas of the city that I otherwise wouldn't have seen and stopped briefly at some attractions I wouldn't have seen like the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Royal Botanic Garden.

I almost learned a crucial lesson in exploring Edinburgh on foot the hard way when I was exiting the bus at the end of the tour; Be very careful when crossing the street. It's easy to forget that driving is done on the left side of the road in the United Kingdom and I forgot that very important fact when I looked to the right instead of the left and was almost taken out by a speeding car. Unfortunately, this was not the only time I made this mistake. I noticed since I arrived in the city that the sound of ambulance sirens were almost continuous and I wondered if perhaps it was Canadian and American tourists making the same mistake. In Edinburgh, there seems to be no speed limits and cars stop at nothing, not even crosswalks.

I usually don't walk down dark alleyways or venture on side streets or more remote areas of cities but I felt very safe everywhere I went in Edinburgh and although I had only been there a few hours, I felt at home. It didn't take long to realize that I really like the city. Many other people must like it too as there were tourists everywhere. It wasn't peak tourist season when I was there but the streets were packed with people from all over the world. I'd hate to see what's it like during peak tourist season or during major events like the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.


I walked around the city for a few hours taking pictures and admiring the stunning architecture. By the time I started finally feeling tired, I had clocked 16 miles of walking according to the step-counter app on my phone. Not bad for someone who arrived in the city jet-lagged and sleep-deprived only a few hours earlier. I stopped into a little cafe called Cafe Keno, which was just around the corner from my hotel, and grabbed a delicious vegetarian sandwich and some cookies.

Back in my room, I was so tired, I could barely get undressed. Sleep came easy and I didn't wake up again until twelve hours later when my alarm went off in the morning.

I'm Afraid I May be Suffering from the Long Term Affects of Wanderlust

While many people complain about all the things that go wrong on their travels, I am always the first to say that the only thing I hate about any trip is coming home. Things go wrong while traveling. It’s inevitable. It’s unavoidable. And its always a learning experience and something to talk about (and maybe even laugh) later. Going home after a trip is something that often comes too soon but it is only at that moment when my bags are packed and I’m sitting at the airport waiting for my return flight that I really feel down. Most times, while I am waiting for that last flight, I am secretly hoping it will be delayed or cancelled or that I will end up stuck in transit due to a snowstorm or volcanic eruption so that my trip can be extended a little bit longer. To me, wandering around aimlessly in an airport beats going back to the cold weather and my day job in Atlantic Canada. And once I do get home, I experience travel withdrawal – better known as Wanderlust.

This state of impending Wanderlust usually starts the day before I am due to board my plane back home. That last day spent wandering around my destination and taking it all in one last time is also spent dreading the moment when I have to say goodbye to the beach, the café where I took my daily coffee and the resort or hostel that was my home away from home. I know it sounds insane when I say I hope for delays once I arrive at the airport but, to me, delays are an extended vacation. I actually enjoy wandering around airports. I like listening to the different languages, watching people rushing around trying to figure out where they should be going or racing to meet someone, browsing the boutique shops, getting lost and finding neat little cafes or hangouts and watching the planes take off to foreign lands. If my flight happens to be on time, I’m disappointed because that means I will be back home sooner than later and my trip will be over.

This state of Wanderlust remains for a long time I get home. In fact, I don’t think it every really goes away; it usually remains until I leave for my next trip. When I really think about it, I believe I was born with this affliction…I seem to have always been, and still always am in a state of perpetual Wanderlust. I blame my parents, even though they often complain about my constant state of unsettledness that sees me moving from place to place and job to job and my constant need to be always going somewhere, but never really settling anywhere…or with anyone for that matter. I’ve grown to be very independent and adventurous so working a 9-5 job at the same place year after year and staying home watching TV night after night is boring and uninspiring to me.

I’ve never been scared to try new things and I’ve never been scared to do anything on my own. I learned at any early age that if I sit around waiting for other people to do things with me, those things may never get done so I set out on my own. As a child, when the other kids were playing video games, I played outside alone. The day I got my first car at age 17, I drove two hours just to get a coffee. By the time I was 19, I was already taking weekly trips two hours out of town to my favorite national park to spend the weekend camping…alone. Back than, people thought I was crazy but they often told me they wished they could do the same. I find it strange when I hear someone saying they can’t do something because they are afraid or because they don’t want to go alone. These days, they think I am even more foolish than ever! My adventures, as of late, have taken me much further than two hours out of town; I’ve traveled all over the continent as a solo, female traveler. But traveling alone has never bothered me. In fact, I love traveling alone!

It’s been almost a year since I last went on a trip outside of Canada. Work obligations and a lack of funds have kept me closer to home as of late. However, my constant state of travel withdrawal and wanderlust will not have me in one place for long! I have plans…big plans. The problem is putting those plans into action. I have a bit of a head start on that. For starters, I am constantly thinking about travel and where I will travel next. Lately, with the awful winter we have had on Canada’s east coast, I’ve been dreaming of taking a trip down south. I had my eyes set on Barbados for Spring Break but, unfortunately, due to foul weather and work obligations, I was unable to go. This is the first winter since 2008 that I have not traveled to a warm climate to spend a week lying on the beach and enjoying some much needed sunshine that is quite rare this time of year in Canada. Now, I am gone into full-blown travel research mode even though I have no direct plans on going anywhere until at least the summer. I spend my days daydreaming of where to go next. So far, I have it narrowed down to The Grand Canyon and Las Vegas in June, Newfoundland in July and Europe in the late summer or fall…if all goes as planned – not that I ever make real laid-out plans. These plans could go out the window if I get called to work through the summer. So far, my summer is free but that could change any moment. But even with the possibility of work coming up, I have been racking my brain trying to come up with ideas on how to approach my superiors about taking time off (without pay, of course) to go on at least one of these trips. My nights are usually spent like this as well. Can’t sleep? Stare at the ceiling and think about where I will travel next!

When I am not daydreaming about travel, I am actually putting things into action. I have always loved travel so much that I became a freelance travel writer! I figured why not write about the thing I like to do most and combine my two passions; writing and traveling. When writer’s block sets in or I just don’t feel like doing any work, I start researching travel. I spend many hours searching for travel deals, doing research on the best destinations to travel to, learning more about destinations I am interested in traveling to, watching videos about travel destinations and reading just about anything I come across that has to do with travel. I even sign up for various travel newsletters so I don’t miss out on any new developments in the travel industry!

Other aspects of my life are taken up by travel as well. I love to read but it seems that every book I buy is related to travel in some way. Actually, even the books I receive as gifts from friends and family are travel related. I guess my constant ramblings about past trips and reminiscing about my days on the road tipped them off to the sort of books I would be most likely interested in reading. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are getting tired of me constantly rambling about my past and future travels. I read everything; books about epic road trips by other travelers, city guides, destination guides, travel industry news, travel tips…you name it. If it’s about travel, I will read it!

Another favorite pastime of mine (also travel related, of course!) is trying to find ways to get free or discounted trips and trying to find ways to make extra money to afford to go on more trips. I search for contests that offer trips to be won and bookmark the ones that can be entered daily so they are right there, ready to be filled out every morning! I already won a trip to Costa Rica last year! Because I am a freelance travel writer, I play that card to score free accommodations and other freebies related to travel. This may sound a bit sinister or even selfish on my part, but, trust me, various hotels and tour providers have gained from my services. For example, during that trip to Costa Rica, I offered my services as a travel blogger to a hotel, a resort and a tour company. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the trip and what these businesses had to offer so once I got home, I blogged and posted reviews and wrote articles to promote them and draw in more potential customers to their business. I got free hotel stays and tours and, in return, they got free promotion. I am an obsessive collector of frequent flyer miles and I avail of every opportunity and coupon I come across. In order to find out about deals, offers and new developments in the travel industry, I obsessively add anyone and anything that has to do with travel to my Facebook and Twitter accounts so I don’t miss out on anything.

I am not lazy by any means but I am not partial to the 9-5, wake up-eat-work-sleep-repeat routine. Fortunately, I long ago developed a skill that allows me to work seasonal jobs. For a few months of the year that I don’t have a “real” job, I live off the income I make from freelancing. This works out great for me; I can make money on the side of my real job, save up for travel and travel on the months I have off every year! In the past, I have a lot of odd jobs online. Market research, mystery shopping, book reviewing and selling items on Ebay were just some of the things I have done to make a few extra bucks to use towards my travels.

So I guess it’s safe to say that I am suffering from the long term effects of Wanderlust. It has, after all been over a year since I left the country and embarked on any sort of extended journey. I mean, I have taken a few short trips around home to try and satisfy my itchy feet and prevent myself from going completely stir crazy but I am way past due for another epic adventure far away from the comfort zone of home.


If you are a traveler who has recently found yourself stuck in one place for too long, you may now be wondering if you, as well, may be suffering from the effects of Wanderlust. Here are some of the signs that you have a bad case of this affliction. Are you exhibiting any of these signs?

1) You live and breath travel. Everything you do revolves around travel somehow.
2) You find yourself browsing Netflix for international flicks that are filmed in your favorite travel destinations or destinations you would like to travel to.
3) You watch foreign films in different languages other than your own…without subtitles.
4) You find yourself looking up common words and phrases in languages of the countries you would like to visit.
5) You interact, online, with people who are from the countries you would like visit. Sometimes you even add them to your Facebook or Twitter account.
6) You only search for jobs in the travel industry or jobs that require you to travel as part of your workload.
7) You research destinations just for the hell of it.
8) You are always on the look out for travel deals and promotions…even if you have no direct plans to travel.
9) You know every little tool and trick to get you through customs easier, to avoid being scammed by cabbies in foreign lands, to score a deal on a hotel, attraction or tour and how to get properly lost in a foreign city.
10) You know more about distant lands than you do about your own backyard.
11) You hang out at the coffee shop in your local airport and watch the travelers coming and going and airplanes taking off and landing…even though you have no plans on going anywhere yourself.
12) You always have someone lined up to look after your place and feed your pets if you have to leave at a moment’s notice.
13) Your cell phone contact list is loaded with important phone numbers you need while traveling – your insurance provider, various airlines, emergency contacts, various embassies, hotels you stay at frequently, credit card customer service numbers, etc
14) You have a suitcase already half packed with various travel items so it is almost ready to go at any moment.
15) You have your local airport shuttle service on speed dial…or you dial it so much, you know it by heart!
16) Under no circumstance will you EVER allow your passport to expire. That’s just plain stupid. You have a need to be at the ready at all times to just jump on a plane and fly away. You see your passport as your ticket to freedom.


Well, I can proudly (or sadly, depending on how you look at it) say that I have exhibited all of the above symptoms. You might say I am obsessed…I say there are worse things I could be obsessed with. Travel is a healthy obsession that I think everyone should indulge in! I always say “experiences are more important than material things” and I am living proof of that. I have sold or given away many of my material possessions and the things I remember most about my life thus far are not things at all, but the experiences that made it all worthwhile!