Sick With the Travel Bug June 10, 2009

Originally, I was going to use this post as a way to brag about all the fabulous trips I have scheduled for this summer.  I mean, there’s Vegas with my old college crew, Glacier National Park with my mom (she’s visiting from NC, and I’m going to introduce her to bear country) and Yellowstone with the bf (he’ll FINALLY be back from New Zealand in July, and he owes me this trip!).  But instead it turned into a diatribe about why traveling is so exciting for me.  I love to travel.  I don’t think it’s so much the destination as it is getting from point A to point B (I almost said “as it is the journey”, which is just way too corny for me). 

 

There are so many things I love about traveling:

            It mixes things up.  I get bored driving on the same roads to and from work, going to the same grocery store every weekend and watching the same TV shows every week.  Discovering new places keeps things fresh and pulls me out of my comfort zone.  I’m also a very type A personality.  Traveling forces me to let go a little and compromise.  I also deal with surprises and spontaneity a lot better while traveling.

            I lose my connections to the “real world.”  Most of the time, there is no cell service at the campgrounds around here.  My initial reaction used to be one of panic, as I imagined a bear choosing a steak as an appetizer and me as an entrée.  With no phone service, how could I call for help?  Then I realized two things: that all hope is probably lost in the end if it comes to me versus a bear; and no cell service means I don’t have the irresistible urge to check my email, send a text or make a call.  It’s complete freedom from all things computerized, and it forces you to find entertainment in your natural surroundings.  Camping is face-to-face interaction at its best, and it’s kind of nice to look at faces instead of a computer screen.

            I love hotel rooms.  If you think about it, I mean, really think about it, hotel rooms are disgusting.  After all, you’re using the same linens and towels as the millions of people before you; it’s hard to tell how thorough the cleaning staff is; and the carpeting is just gross.  I actually do squirm a bit when faced with hotel carpets, but that’s what socks are for.  Otherwise, I love the anonymity, the room service and the sense of anticipation (because if you’re in a hotel room, you’re usually on a trip, trying new things and waiting for the next adventure) a hotel provides.  Just a few more tips: never stay somewhere that doesn’t have pictures or a virtual tour on the website; always pull back the covers to check for hair (and if you see any, call the front desk and ask for new sheets); and don’t lie on top of the comforter.  They rarely wash those.  Pull it down and make sure it stays there while you sleep.  If you get cold, you can always request a blanket.  

            There are so many different people out there to meet.  On my way to Prague , I once chatted with a girl from Ireland who found out her boyfriend was cheating on her, dumped him and moved to Australia three weeks later.  She spent a year working and traveling throughout the country and was on her way home when we met in the Frankfurt airport.  While studying abroad in London , I found unconditional support in my roommates, three girls who never knew I was alive prior to our trip, but who helped me through the death of a close friend’s father.  He passed away 2 weeks after I left home.  And how could I forget my notorious fellow passenger on my way back from New Zealand?

 

 Travel is a great way to learn, see, do and grow.  What’s your favorite thing about traveling?  Have you been somewhere you loved and want to go back to someday?