Millions of people travel each year, whether it’s a six-month jaunt in Southeast Asia or a weekend vacation a short distance from the house. Of course, the Coronavirus pandemic has put paid to that as recent restrictions have forced the world to shut down. It’s like something from a sci-fi movie!
Thankfully, there will be an end to the madness, even if it isn’t in sight yet. When normality returns, you can guarantee one thing in an unpredictable time – you’ll be planning a trip before COVID-19 can raise its ugly head again. The virus might do a lot of things, but it can’t beat the wanderlust bug that you caught years ago.
Now that you finally have time to take stock and think about life, you’re probably mulling over why you can’t wait to get back into the swing of the travelling culture. Sure, the fact that it’s a privilege that has been taken away makes you want it more, as does the fact that you’re essentially on house arrest.
Still, what are the real motives behind your love of travelling? What makes you tick? Why are you different from your friends and loved ones who can’t wait to settle down and have kids? It will have something to do with the following.
Once You’ve Popped
The thing that people don’t understand is that you can’t go back to the person you were before, even if you wanted to. Of course, you’d hate nothing more, but thankfully, there’s no form of therapy compelling you to regress! The good news is that you’re a different person now, and that individual doesn’t have time for packed bars and pubs and living for the weekend.
You’d rather spend your days exploring temples and pagodas as the sun beats down and makes sweat drip from every pore. It’s uncomfortable at times, but nothing surpasses the sensation of an experience that you can’t get anywhere else.
There’s no reason for you to apologise or to explain yourself – it’s inexplicable. All you can say is that you’ve opened a can of worms and there’s no going back. That means, even though there are more important things happening in the world, you can’t stop daydreaming about your next adventure.
You’re a fully-fledged traveller who’s immersed in the culture of sharing rooms with total strangers and ordering food in pigeon languages, and it’s addictive!
Budget-friendly
When you first look at a travel guide, you can’t help but think, “how much is this going to cost?!” The thing is, you’re judging the prices based on what you know, and what you know is a society that overpays for everything. So, it’s not a leap to imagine the seven wonders of the world charging a fortune. And, the sights are without the cost of living.
What happens when you land in your destination is as remarkable as it is predictable – the prices are low. Like, they’re very low. Low enough that you can take a couple of months of your salary and live like a royal for a year without breaking the bank. Beers on the beach every night? Don’t worry about it. Three-course-meals for less than $10? Go on, then!
Affordability is a cliche in many ways because it’s an excuse every traveller uses when they visit somewhere new. However, it plays a massive part in your long-term lifestyle. Think about it this way – would you prefer to stay at home and spend the same money and receive less? The answer is so obvious that it doesn’t require a response.
Travelling is incredible because you can create memories that last a lifetime on a shoestring budget. And there are options like travel sponsorship, that can help you increase your budget.
The Social Life
It’s not as if there aren’t parties and events that are out of this world. Many of the ones that you can go to are dotted around the globe, according to this guide to the top ten party hotspots. Of course, socialising includes more than drinking with total strangers and dancing on beaches and bars.
Part of the appealing social life also centres around your love life. Yes, meeting a tall, dark, and handsome person in a tropical paradise is played out, and it usually doesn’t happen the way you imagine. However, traveling puts you in a position to meet more people and get to know them better.
For one thing, you’re surrounded by people, and there’s a fresh influx of them regularly. Secondly, you’re immersed in the culture and want to understand the people as intimately as possible. Whether you use an Asian dating guide or let it happen naturally, it’s not uncommon to feel a bond.
When you think about it, it shouldn’t be a surprise that you want to travel again. Drinking, partying, and getting to know people on a different level than normal is about as amazing an experience as there is.
No Borders
Not to get all pretentious and hippy on you, but it’s incredible to realise that borders aren’t real. Okay, you can’t enter countries without a passport and meeting the entry requirements, yet after you’ve done it once, you recognise how straightforward the process is. Suddenly, the most faraway destinations don’t seem inaccessible.
All you need is a plane ticket. Then, once you land, you can hop on trains, cars, buses, and even tuk-tuks and rickshaws to get from A to B. You’ll stop off at spontaneous towns and villages along the way, sampling the authentic lifestyle of the locals. There doesn’t have to be a strong infrastructure, either.
Some places, such as Australia and Asia, have one because they embrace travellers. Others are remote, yet it doesn’t matter. Once the penny drops that borders are easy to cross, you have the freedom to travel to pretty much any location in the world. Take a look at this guide to the best places off the beaten path.
How many of them make you feel unsafe or uncomfortable? None? That’s because travellers understand you can go anywhere, and that’s the main reason you can’t wait to kickstart your passion!
