Feel like you need escape? Read these 10 reasons and see if it’s time to hit the road.
Photo by Marc Sebastian
So you finally did it. You moved back home. You gave up on your dreams of being a lifetime traveler in exchange for a pension, a steady paycheck, and a stable home environment.
Good for you. The only problem is, we both know it may not stick.
You can feel it already, can’t you? Not exactly a sense of loss, but rather, some part of you is being slowly diluted, your true self fading from a lack of stimulation.
Escape. Get out while you still can. Hit the road, and be grateful you pushed yourself.
How do you know when it’s time to go traveling?
10. Recycled Coffee Starts Tasting Good
You’ve become so complacent with your 9-to-5 cubicle job that that caffeinated mixture of grounds and office sweat is actually making your mouth water. You’re spending too much time staring at an LCD screen. Water cooler talk is fascinating to you.
GET OUT NOW, while you can still remember what sunlight feels like.
9. Celebrity Gossip is the Most Interesting Part of Your Day
Like celebrity gossip? It may be too late…
You watch too much TV. You have excuses for not reading books. You’re unchallenged and unfulfilled. The best way to break this? You need to feel uncomfortable in a totally new environment, do some volunteer work, meet people from different backgrounds. Carpe diem.
8. You Can’t Find Authentic Foreign Foods At Home
The Thai food in Boston isn’t nearly as spicy as you remembered it from Chang Mai. That Japanese fugu tastes more metallic than sweet. Some business executives have no problem driving hundreds of miles for a decent meal.
Although you should be hesitant to take a page from their books, food is a good motivator to cross the border. Satisfy those dormant taste buds.
7. You Got Dumped
Doesn’t have to be a dumping. Any traumatic event that makes you feel like you need a fresh start could work: your boyfriend cheated on you; you got fired; a close family member died; you’re about to get married and feel like one last blowout; a baby is on the way and will surely tie you to a domestic life.
Whatever the reason, you are in some kind of emotional upheaval that only exploration will cure.
6. You Talk With More People Abroad Than You Do At Home
Your friends from Germany on Facebook get more attention than those living a hundred feet away. Go and be a part of their lives again; you miss them, and hopefully they miss you.
5. Sick And Tired of Being Ignorant of World Affairs
“Hey man, did you hear about all this protesting in Thailand?”
“[A market in Iraq is] like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summer time.”
“What’s Mugabe done now?”
Stop listening to others describe it (assuming they even know what they’re talking about, i.e. quote #2). Go and live it.
4. You Have Too Much Money
Even bumper stickers need a vacation / Photo just.luc
Do not buy yourself a dozen iPods or blow it all on a 64,000 square foot mansion for one. You could help out a fellow traveler (perhaps one needing sponsorship for his Antarctica Marathon in 2010… shameless self-promotion), but really, go out into the world yourself, don’t just send your money into foreign markets.
3. The City Skyline Just Isn’t Doing It
The shades of grey towering over the horizon just don’t provide that same sense of excitement or visual stimulation as when you first arrived in the big city. You need a change…unfamiliar surroundings…a new city, a green mountain, endless ocean, ice, ice baby…whatever works for you.
2. Spite
Other people – boss, girlfriend, family – are telling you not to go, or even you can’t go. You’re a rebel. Traveling sounds like the best idea in the world when you’re forbidden to do it.
1. You Don’t Want to End up Like Those Guys in “The Bucket List”
You know: The Bucket List. Two old guys find out they’re dying. They do everything they can before they kick the bucket.
Instead, do it while you’re young and healthy. Keep it up. Maybe along the way you’ll discovery the secret of immortality and eternal youth, in which case, no worries, mate.
What are some other reasons you know it’s time to go traveling? Share in the comments!
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18 Comments... join the discussion!
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Hear Hear for Number 1 .. don’t wait to get old to try & get it all in … we are never guaranteed tomorrow, gotta do it while you can!
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Hahahahaha, 2 made me laugh. Yep, my first solo-travel adventure was definitely fueled a bit by spite. One of my high school teachers told me I’d probably never get a chance to travel, and although what she meant was “you won’t get to travel if you settle down in a job because you’ll be tied down to your life here, you should do it now while you still can” I heard “You’ll never get to travel so just give up now” and I got so angry I decided to move to Ireland. There were other motivators, of course, but spite was definitely one of them.
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You know its time to travel when your life is like “Ground Hogs Day” the movie. Your conversations with your coworkers are predictable and it almost feels as if you are hearing lines from a script.
The issues you are dealing with at work seem insignificant. I work for a record company and you can’t imagine how many “emergencies” I have to deal with because some pampered artist needs to have blue flowers in their dressing room as opposed to the Fussia pink ones they asked for in the first place.
This was a great article. I’m planning to make the leap at the end of this year God willing. I’m done!
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With 9 out of 10 points I agree.
First of all: The city skyline just isn´t doing right.
I´m sufficiently bored.Again. One can barely catch sight of your own hands with this driving snow – not to mention a city´s horizon!Where is sunshine anyway? They said spring is already knocking on the door but all I can hear ist that supremely bugging sound when the snow is scrunching under my boots!So KnockKnock springtide & make me at least catch a little glimpse at this dusty city skyline that is usually reminding me every day of my itchy feet.Second: You can´t find authentic foreign foods at home.
What wouldn´t I give for one of those unbefuckinglievable take away sushi rolls like they sell it in Oz on every street corner for 2 bucks only!with tofu,sundried tomatoes,sweetcorn,veggies,eggs,etc…. Or that juicy taste of fresh fruits you just picked aka stole yourself on a wild tree or bush, spices from the far east,some fatty maltese pastizzi.It´s not only the lack of flavour but also improving your cooking styles, experiencing new dishes and the whole socializing part with people from different cultures is one of the things I miss when I´m home in my kitchen.Third:You got dumped.
Well I haven´t been dumped but there is this certain emotional incident (involving a guy I used to date) that can´t be cured unless I (go and talk to him or ) leave the country for some exploration, inspiration, freedom & ease.Fourth:Celebrity gossip ist he most interesting part of your day
Now this is embarrassing but I spend the whole day watching the second season of that dull TV series Gossip Girl which is not only boring, shallow,superficial, nothing about but teenagers having sex with their best friends girlfriend, boyfriend or both but most of all it is highly dangerous because it´s addictive!All this exaggerated teenage drama is distracting me from my own issues like dealing with my uni future plans, guys, travel intentions…
These 17year olds – of course played by actors 10 years older – are dealing with such batshit insane problems that make me completely forget about what I am supposed to do.There are hundreds of apllication forms I have to fill out.Before that´s not done I won´t go anywhere anyway.Fith:You talk with more people abroad than you do at home.
Miss them.Sixth: sick & tired of being ignorant of world affairs.
I don´t want to hear or learn out of any second hand experiences anymore – the most important things you can learn is life teaching itself when you´re out there exploring it -outside our comfort zone.Seventh:You have too much money.
Not exactly but I saved up enough to start somewhere new.Eighth:Spite
There is some pressure referring to certain society standards that need to be fulfilled in the eyes of others. But something deep in my guts tells me to prove them wrong.Ninth: You don´t want to end up like those guys in „The Bucket List“.
Why would one possibly save best fort the end?I don´t ever want to have to say those words:“I wish I would have done this…or that…why didn´t I take that cance….“ – NEVER!Tenth: Recycled coffee starts tasting good
And that ist he only point I can´t agree with because I don´t even have a profession where I can get that horribble caffeine baverage.Lucky me,so there´s actually nothing that keeps me here anymore
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i just need to get away from this life and its comfort and security, in other words BORDEM!
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Turner,
Classic list and oh so true for so so many!! … Loved the 64,000 sf house reference… Gotta just get out there and make it happen.
I’m with ya buddy!
Cheers!
Patrick Hitches
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That picture of a cubicle-filled office gave me the shivers!
I knew that it was time for me to quit my job and go travel when I started having fantasies about getting fired from my job.
As far as confined spaces go, give me an airplane cabin over an office cubicle any day!
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100% percent agree with you. I always feel that when we are young its best to take advantage that we are strong and healthy. I say as soon as you hit the 100s its time to relax at home lol.
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The too much money part…hilarious! I am convincing myself I’m saving up for retirement, rainy days, whatever. I know in the back of my head, in the depths of my soul…it’s for the road.
*sigh* Soon come…
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Regarding Spite….
-I recently told my boss I was going to Turkey for 3 weeks assuming she’d just give me the vacation because that’s how it’s always worked in the past. Turns out she told me she didn’t accept my vacation request. I’m going anyway. Ha.
-Also, have you ever told anyone you were going backpacking in some randomly (as far as you don’t know anyone there) chosen foreign country to have them reply a truly confused “Why?”. That makes me want to leave even more! Just not to be like them.
Regarding Too Much Money…
-As a student…I WISH!↵ -
Great article! I think the main reason you know it’s time to go is either when you feel like a total outsider, or you suddenly realise you’re an ‘insider’ after discussing the pros and cons of differnet brands of washing machines with the guy at the next cublice……….Run run run!!!
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Travel helps you shed your cultural skin and become a different person in an unfamiliar environment. After 2 months on the road, I’m happy to be in a city that feels like a cultural fit for the summer: lovely Amsterdam.
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Another reason could be living in a small conservative community will drive anyone nuts eventually. Explore the world for different opinions.
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Can relate to number 7 on a number of ocasions. There’s one more I can think of too and that is find out what other people are up to in the world and what’s really going on out there.
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All are VERY good reasons to hit the road — And I definitely don’t want to end up like #1!
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Haha, great article! It totally made me LMAO as I’m sitting here in my cubicle looking for something interesting to help me pass the time. I’m counting the days until I get to leave for vacation next month.
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