Cinque Terre, Italy
Three days ago I was there, in the place you see photographed above: Cinque Terre, Italy (and that, specifically, is the village of Vernazza). I had an amazing time in Italy, my sixth time to the country; I ate lots of great food, went hiking on beautiful trails, sat by the water with glasses of wine, drank far too many espressos, and even met a few handsome Italians (that always helps). And then, with a two hour flight from Pisa and a bus from Stansted airport, I was at home in my flat, unpacking and doing laundry and wondering whether or not I could eat enough sushi to warrant the minimum delivery surcharge (spoiler: I could, even though I ordered so much they delivered it to me with four sets of chopsticks).
Before I really get into this post, I’d like to first acknowledge that what I’m about to say is going to sound super, super spoiled. I come from a privileged background and I earn enough money to live comfortably in London and travel often. I have a lovely flat and a very happy, healthy life. I’m well aware that I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. But something I often think about – and quite frankly, something I often worry about – is whether or not I’m addicted to travelling. That, perhaps, I’m too consumed by it, and, what frightens me the most, is that I’m often the happiest when I’m on the road.
Again – boo hoo, I know. But, from what I’ve gathered from the comments left on this blog and on Facebook, as well as the results from a small survey I did on the blog last year, the majority of you travel fairly often, too, and highly prioritise travelling and/or saving for travelling. And I would wager that I’m definitely not alone in wondering if wanderlust is the driving force in my life, and that, for me, I often only feel accomplished and fulfilled if I have a trip planned.
We typically think of addiction being linked to things like alcohol, drugs, gambling, or sex, but if a few late nights of watching My Strange Addiction on TLC has taught me anything, it’s that you truly can be addicted to anything. Dr. Art Markman believes that travel addiction can be real, and he is quoted in this article as saying, “If the lows you experience after travel are so bad that you can’t really function in the rest of your life, then you want to get some help to deal with it. If you have to travel in ways that eat into the budget you need for life’s necessities, then that is a sign you should get some help.” He does go on to say, however, that “if you don’t feel that your life is unmanageable, despite your real need to travel, then you are probably just at the extreme end of a continuum that includes lots of travellers.”
And so, most likely, I do fall into that group in the extreme end. I’ve never sacrificed my basic amenities in life (see: copious amounts of sushi) in order to travel, and I’m usually able to function relatively well following a particularly wonderful trip (though I’ll admit that I cried in the bathroom at work yesterday… not a proud moment). I have, however, quit jobs, even one I cared about a lot, in order to go travelling. I’ve also broken up with boyfriends in order to go travelling. I’ve said goodbye to family and friends, used up all of my savings more times than I can count, and given up leases and belongings, all in the name of exploring the world. In my vast research online on the subject (meaning I read two articles), those who are consumed by the idea of compulsive travel are often said to have a behavioural addition, but despite the fact that I’ve prioritised travel over pretty much every single thing in my life, I don’t believe my addiction has caused destructive or harmful consequences. Unless… wait… am I in the denial stage right now?!
As I wrote in this post about being content, “Travelling, in many ways, is a series of highs, of rushes of adrenaline; there is always something new, always somebody new. There are new sounds and tastes, new experiences. Even with the occasional bad day, life on the road is nearly always exhilarating, challenging, and fulfilling… What I believe I’m feeling when I get those pangs of emptiness [after a trip] are forms of withdrawal, of missing the action-packed life I’ve lived before… Forget chasing the dragon, [I’m] constantly chasing the cheapest ticket out of town.” I’ve also written about the post-holiday blues, and though I try to follow my own advice, sometimes, no matter what you do, you just feel bad when you return from a holiday, which I believe is totally normal.
And yes, I understand that to complain about feeling bad for not being able to travel all the time means my life is pretty fucking amazing. But I still felt really, really shitty on Monday, and just wanted to sleep. That whole – don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened – mantra has never really worked for me. I felt the same way yesterday, although I dragged myself to the local pub for some guaranteed laughs. And while I didn’t wake up smiling today, I felt marginally better… but only because I started to look up flights to somewhere else. There have times over the past three years when I was so swamped with work and my master’s degree that I couldn’t even imagine fitting travelling in, but I somehow still found the time and budget to do it anyway.
Today I had my morning coffee on the bus. Slightly different to this view in the mountains.
And again, don’t get me wrong – I do love my life in London, very much so. I talk about how much I love this city a lot, but part of the reason why I think I love it so much is because it’s so diverse and so exciting, and I can constantly explore new parts of it to mimic the joy I get from travelling. I’ll also admit that I love it a lot because it’s such a great hub for travelling to other parts of the world; my returns flights to Pisa, for example, cost around £100, and I was there in under two hours. It’s undeniable that London facilitates easy and affordable travel, especially to the rest of Europe.
Even if I was able to afford to travel constantly, I still wouldn’t choose to be nomadic, meaning I would want a home base somewhere. As much as I felt sad after returning from Italy, it was also lovely to walk into my flat, take a hot bath, and sleep in my own bed. As I’ve often written about, travelling constantly can take its toll, and life on the road isn’t just endless days of glasses of wine in the sun, as much as I’d like it to be – it can also be filled with stress, frustration, confusion, sadness, homesickness, heartbreak, and every other human emotion. But there is no denying how happy I felt in Cinque Terre, how unbridled and curious and interested. There is also no denying that nearly all of the happiest moments in my life have happened when I was travelling, and if you could magically wave a wand and transport me back to a particular moment in time, it would probably be to Cambodia. Or Brazil. Or Botswana. Or Thailand. You get the picture.
I try to “make my life one you don’t have to escape from”, and to be happy in my day-to-day routines. For the most part, I totally am, and I love hanging out with my friends, going to the same cafés and bars, and having a home to decorate and cook in and relax in. But I also know that I’ll probably never feel as carefree and as consistently animated as I do when I travel. Perhaps that’s the thing with being consumed by wanderlust – you just have to accept it, to try to create harmony in your life, to feed that wanderlust when you can but try to enjoy the quieter times, too. My friend once told me there’s a word in Korean that describes this very thing, an addiction to travelling, an insatiable case of wanderlust. And, as she told me, there really is no cure.
I’ll feel better soon. There are many good things coming up in the future, including fun hangouts with friends, a conference in Brighton, and visits from my family. And yet, if you were to ask me what I’m up to this year, my plans would still be punctuated by the trips I’m taking, and those travels would be the things I highlight first. “I’m going to Amsterdam in May,” I’d tell you, “and then Spain and Sweden and France. And then hopefully Kenya in September.” In all likeliness, I’ll describe the rest of my life like that. And really, if that’s what it means to be consumed by travelling, to be devoted to the beautiful act of seeing the world… well, there are far worse addictions to have, and I feel damn lucky to call travel my greatest vice.
OK, and wine. I might also be slightly addicted to wine.
Do you ever feel that you’re addicted to travelling, or that you’ve been consumed by wanderlust?
For more of these opinion pieces, check out On Travelling and Growing Up, The Danger of Someone Else’s Dream, On Accepting Sadness, and more in the Opinions section, the Stories section, or the Advice section.
58 comments
Another great post and I can totally relate! I also believe I’m fairly addicted to booking the flights themselves.. I get such a rush and feel so happy after pressing that confirm button haha.
I also feel the same about London right now in that I’m pretty much always being a tourist and always seeing new places and seeing new places is actually what makes me so happy and itching to see more and more!
There’s plenty of people out there that will feel the same too and it’s nice to read of others thoughts and feelings towards it too so thanks for posting! 🙂
Thanks a lot, Ellie! I’m glad to know I’m not alone. 🙂 I also get a big rush out of booking a flight…
I was skyping with a good friend of mine just yesterday, and when she asked me what was new, I rattled off a list of all the places I had visited since our last conversation, as well as all my upcoming trips for the rest of the year.
She laughed and then said, “Yeah, Danny, but how’s your NORMAL life outside of travel?” And that got me to thinking a lot about what you’ve just written.
Right now, I’m trying to slow things down a bit on purpose. I want travel to regain some of the novelty that it may have lost in the past year or so. But at the same time, it’s so difficult to hold myself back and not book a weekend flight to some new city in Europe.
In any case, you’re certainly not alone!
I agree – very difficult to hold back when there are so many cheap flights! Thanks for your comment, Danny.
I’m having the same problem, especially about the flight booking. I find it hard to feel happy (and just like you said, I know I’m privileged to travel and I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining) without knowing my next destination. If I come home and have no flights booked, I’d start searching for some – for any place – the next day. And the thing is I never feel quite like myself at home, it’s like I have two personalites and I’m my truest self when on the road. Does this all make any sense? You’re definitely not the only one in this 😉
I always have so many flights on my scratchpad on Expedia… it’s ridiculous! And yes, it does make sense. 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
This is such an interesting thought. I always get really down in the dumps when I return from a trip, but I always attributed it to not being super-pleased with the city I live in currently. But I wonder if that’s just how I would feel anywhere? I’ve always sort of felt like having a home base and traveling frequently would be the way to go. But this post definitely has me thinking about how travel makes me FEEL. Ya know? My anxiety that my AirBnB reservations page is empty right now is a little too high for comfort. I think I might be towards that end of the spectrum as well.
Maybe more importantly though: I feel like we might be a sushi match made in heaven. Four sets of chopsticks is a compliment. 😉 YUM!
Ha ha – I was quite horrified/proud of that sushi accomplishment!
Thanks for your comment, Amanda – I usually feel really sad after a trip, no matter how much I love my hometown. Glad to know I’m not alone!
Love this. I have a massive spreadsheet of trips for the next 20 years in various stages of planning to hold me over in between trips. It’s my happy place at work.
It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who gets anxious if I don’t have any flights booked and talks about travel plans anytime someone asks what’s new.
Lovely writing, as always.
Wow – that’s amazing! I always have a lot planned, too. Thanks so much for your comment, Jessica!
I’ve definitely felt these feelings, though I’m really only starting to process them coherently now, as I feel like I’m finally done with my formal education (for the foreseeable future) and have the freedom to make more choices than ever before. I guess I worry these compulsions mean I’m an escapist or too restless to really function in the “real world”; I’ve often felt the same fears when romantic relationships don’t pan out, or when I don’t really feel like pursuing those either. But on the flip side I guess this means “we” (the wanderlust stricken types) are also more intellectually curious, and unwilling to settle for less than our goals, maybe?
(Also, I don’t think you came across as even remotely spoiled at all in this post–though I agree it’s super important to keep our privilege in mind when we think about this stuff!)
Thanks so much for your comment here, Paige – it’s very insightful as always! I like to think about being curious… I think it’s a great quality to have. 🙂
I think a lot of people can relate to what you wrote in this post, which is greatly interesting to me as I have found many people from our generation having the same addiction to travelling. We all love to travel, and enjoy the idea of wanderlust.
Thank you very much for your comment – I’m glad that you could relate to the post!
Love this post 🙂
I always find it incredibly tough to settle back in to my ‘normal’ routine when I get back home after a trip, and I always worry that I’m at my happiest when I am travelling/have big travel plans. Because what does that mean for my emotional state when I’m doing work/admin/staying at home?
This year has been a bit tough, as I’ve had to cut back on travel a lot, but it’s made me see how much I rely on it to keep me feeling positive. I’ve tried to focus more on making my general life more enjoyable (aka not spending every evening doing something related to the blog) but I know that the wanderlust is likely to float across my mind regardless!
I guess, in the grand scheme of things, it really can’t be the worst vice in the world 🙂
PS: Your Cinque Terre photos are beautiful.
Thank you for your comment, Kasha! I understand how hard it is to have to cut back on travel, but I can’t wait to read all about your exciting adventures ahead. It’ll be worth it 😉
I wouldn’t call myself addicted to travelling, even though I really love travelling and my happiest memories are from travelling. I don’t absolutely need to travel in order to feel happy, I don’t depend on travel for my happiness. I can also feel happy at home doing other things I like, such as looking at art, drawing, learning interesting new things and meeting up with friends. I think I could go without travelling for a while if I had to, but would make my life a lot less fun than it is now!
I feel like I do need to travel in order to be happy… but to each their own, I guess! Thanks for the comment, Melissa. 🙂
I could feel myself nodding along and relating so much while reading this post!
I wouldn’t say that travelling defines my happiness. I also get a lot of happiness from my friends, family, my home comforts, and great food. At the same time, when I travel and when I am discovering new places, I feel so rejuvenated. All my senses are stimulated and I feel very much alive. I have suffered from anxiety in the past and the one thing that has really helped me overcome this is to travel. I find the confidence I gain from a trip remains with me once I’m back in my daily routine and I think this plays a part in my eagerness to keep travelling and booking trips.
I definitely agree with a lot of what you’ve said here, Leah! Thanks for the comment. 🙂
Yes! Yes! Yes! I too have this addiction and even wrote a similar post last year but I wouldn’t want it any other way 🙂
I agree! I wouldn’t want it any other way, either. 🙂
I totally totally relate to this. Having a trip on the horizon makes daily life a lot easier for me… I leave today for 5 weeks in Africa. I have been planning this trip since January, and I can without a doubt say that the small stages of planning and daydreaming have kept me going through a dark Canadian winter.
My life is also punctuated by where I’ll be next, and I have (multiple times) quite jobs and ended relationships for a life on the road. But, at least so far, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks for your comment, Jesse! It’s interesting that so many of us feel this way. Have an incredible time in Africa!
I love this post! It completely relates to a lot of feelings I’ve had recently about traveling. I’m graduating from college this May, and I’ve been thinking constantly about taking some time to myself and traveling. I have this strong fear of being tied down to a job and not having the time to travel, so I’ve been trying to think of ways that I can squeeze some adventures in while I start my career. I would love any tips you have!
P.S. I love your blog! I recently stumbled upon it a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve slowly been going through all your posts. 🙂
I definitely think it’s OK to travel in between school and a career – you won’t lose out on jobs if you take a few months off. In fact, more and more employers are embracing the idea of their employees travelling… it creates more well-rounded individuals. I wrote a whole post about it here. Good luck and thanks a lot for reading the blog!!
A very thought-provoking article. I’d say compared to a lot of things you could be addicted to, I guess travelling is a good one to have. Wanderlust is a powerful feeling.
Yes, I agree! Thanks for the comment, Jordan.
Ahhh I love this post. I also feel as though I’m addicted to travel, and while I am totally happy with that — I worry about the things i am willing to give up for it, and what people will say when I do. Things like children (I am a newlywed so naturally I get asked about my reproduction daily!) and family time etc etc.
It is, at least, a 100% healthy addiction. No rehab for me 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Lucy – no rehab for me, either… yet.
I really understand this and the fear of having a ‘travel addiction’. The fear of only being happy when I’m travelling or planning trips. But my experience has taught me that I don’t really like travelling any more than a couple of months at a time. I’ve come to believe that there is no cure for the wanderlust that fuels our travel addiction, but that maybe that’s okay and that you can still enjoy the times when you’re not travelling. I absolutely love travelling, but I also love getting to see my family daily, sleeping in my own bed, being familiar with my surroundings etc. That’s why I love this sentence in particular, “Perhaps that’s the thing with being consumed by wanderlust – you just have to accept it, to try to create harmony in your life, to feed that wanderlust when you can but try to enjoy the quieter times, too.” There’s something to be said for occasionally having quiet in your life too 🙂 I find it very valuable actually. My trick is to allow myself to daydream about travel and plan fantasy trips for the future, but to make sure that I develop other interests and aspects of myself too, so that I’m not consumed by travel and so it isn’t my sole identity. I have plenty of interests, wants & needs and it’s best if I try to honour all of them in a balanced way, as best as I can 🙂
Yes, I agree with you, Ella! I don’t think I could travel permanently – I love having a home to return to, and I like having a group of friends I see often. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
I think I’m getting to the addiction level. I know I’m addicted to planning trips. Love. It. I live in Ohio which is so boring. I’m in London right now and I know I’ll be depressed when I get home. But I have other trips coming up and that does help. It’s soooooo easy to get places for cheap from London. Traveling from the US to Europe is long and expensive lol.
Yes, I understand – I grew up in the prairies of Canada, and it was quite expensive to travel from there. I’m certainly trying to take advantage of the cheap flights in Europe!
At last, we can climb out of our suitcase, place a hand on our heart and say that yes, we are wanderlusters and proud! Let’s not apologise for it but enjoy every up and down we experience. Thanks for a great post well said.
Thank you very much!
Haha I can totally relate to your feelings about this! Not long ago when I talked with one of my friends about travel and my plans and I complained that this year I won’t travel to so many places, she just stopped me and said: ‘Are you kidding? You just mentioned about 4 countries you want to visit this year, is that not enough?!’ Well, she was right. I travel much more than all the people around me in my everyday life including friends, family, colleagues… Still, I feel it’s not enough. Because I have all the memories from the wonderful places I’ve been and my ‘hunger’ for creating even more of those memories are constantly growing. ‘Poor you, I will be happy with your problems!’ I know, I know. (This is not my ONLY problem, if that’s an excuse :D). But still, I have to deal with it somehow.
One thought coming up in my mind: there’s maybe only a tiny difference between being passionate about something and being addicted to something. I wonder how many times I cross that line… where’s that line in the first place? 🙂
Yes, perhaps there is only a small difference in some cases… I’m certainly passionate about travelling, that’s for sure! Thanks a lot for your comment, Bea.
I don’t feel as though I am addicted to travelling. While I love being abroad, looking up flights and reading about possible destinations since I started my internship (teaching) I have been so committed to it and working so hard I have to admit I find it difficult to think of travelling.
I guess because I’m at a point in my life where I need to get so many things done, and feel that I’m almost reaching the end of my parisian time, (next year that time I’ll have my master degrees if everything’s fine and will probably have to move), I am too stressed and also want to spend as much time as possible here…
However I am still going to travel this summer, and I’m desperately trying to plan a trip to Iran, Jordan and Kazakhstan so…
Totally feel you! I am ADDICTED to travelling! It’s what I spend most of my time thinking about – just daydreaming about where I want to go next. I love it!
Brenna I would give anything to sit down and have a cup of tea with you and chat about all this stuff! I feel like what you write I can relate to so so so much. I mentioned to you before that I don’t have any trips this year, which is hard but I have to remember it was also my choice. I’m building up my savings account, and taking more time to relax. Since my next trip isn’t until next year, I don’t have to work weekends to afford rent AND travel savings. I don’t have to hoard vacation days for a big trip, so I’ve been taking a lot of long weekends to just sit and read or explore my city. There are some definite positives to taking a bit of a travel break but it’s still there in my brain all the time!
I’ve been suffering pretty badly from depression lately and sometimes my instinct is to sell everything and start traveling NOW. But I know being here is not the problem……..what you talked about, the coming home part, really scares me. I think I could distract myself easily for a few months and be so happy traveling, but ultimately it has to end, and you’re still left with the person that you are. With the added addition of now being completely addicted to longer term travel!
…and yes! if you’re going to have a vice, travel is an amazing one. And chocolate 🙂
An absolutely relatable post. When I was younger, I felt like one holiday (for 1 – 2 weeks) a year was sufficient, however ever since I have started to travel, a couple of weeks a year is simply not sufficient! I have found myself grabbing every single opportunity possible to travel (i.e inbetween full time jobs / between moving cities / between moving countries) and why the heck not.
I think of it in terms of travel is my hobby – I work hard and I priortise my spare cash for travel, I don’t ever really go on huge makeup/clothes shopping sprees, or eat out or drink a heap. So what money I do save I have no issue spending it on travel!
Yep. I’m always happy to return home because of my husband and my dogs (or just my dogs if I’m traveling with my husband), but I don’t think I’d be able to function properly here if I didn’t have an upcoming trip to look forward to — even if it’s something we’re saving for until next year.
This post really resonated with me, Brenna! It was actually after reading your post on being content that I realized I definitely chase those travel highs, and depend on travel for happiness at times. I guess compared to other addictions, travel addiction isn’t so bad! But it does make me question certain aspects of my life – especially if I feel as though I can’t be fully happy without a trip to look forward to!
I can totally relate to what you said about how you explore London in between trips in order to mimic the joys of traveling. I do exactly the same thing in order to address (but sadly, not cure) my wanderlust in between trips. It helps that I live in a great city where there are a lot of interesting areas nearby to explore (San Francisco), so I’m lucky in that regard.
I’ve ben having almost these exact thoughts the past few days. I just returned from a trip to Thailand and while I was happy to be “home” in Korea, I still had a gut wrenching sadness that my trip wasn’t longer. I’m constantly comparing my ‘settled’ life with the backpacker, nomadic stints I had over the past few years, unable to decide which suits me better. I can agree whole heartedly that having a home base (especially as I get older) is essential, nothing like a private shower and familiar bed, but I also can’t help but have the desire to run away from it all. Loved the article, it’s lovely to know there’s many like us out there. While the push and pull can be frustrating I also find it exhilarating and amazing that these are my ‘problems’ in life.
Enjoyed your article and will agree you are very lucky/Blessed. I am curious as to your age and how often do you visit your family or make time to spend with loved ones? Do you live close to your immediate family or any relatives for that matter? Just curious ????
Hi Renee, I’m 31 (turning 32 in a few days) and I see various members of my family every few months, though I have no immediate family in Europe (they’re in Canada, I’m in London). We’re very close – we text every day and I Skype with them a few times a week. 🙂
I loved this post( well, I love them all)! You can never get enough travel or wine in my opinion 😉
I agree!! I hope we can travel together soon. 🙂 xo
Ooh, now this is a head-scratcher! I sometimes wonder the same thing to be honest. Most of my available funds go into travel. I’m always looking for plane tickets, and doing mental calculations – can I afford a ticket, have a reasonable budget, and also pay for lodgings for my dogs while I’m away?
Would I say I’m addicted? No. I don’t feel that my life has no meaning without travel. I remember reading an interesting article the other day saying that people around our age need to take between 6 and 8 trips per year in order to feel fulfilled, even just short breaks. That sounds about right to me – I had my long USA/Mexico trip in March/April, started my year off in South Korea, have a few shorter trips planned in the coming months, and will be back in the UK for Christmas, possibly with a 2 or 3 day jaunt somewhere on the side! Addicted though? Nah. I love having my home base here in Taipei. I quite enjoy my job (most days). I love my dogs, and I wouldn’t be able to care for them if I was constantly travelling. I considered a trip for my 30th birthday in August, but ultimately decided that a meal and night out with friends would satisfy me more.
Now I’m off to compare flight tick—-, erm, I mean, go to sleep, now that it’s almost 1am here in Taipei. And if you wanted to come over here at any point, well, you’d have a bed to sleep in and someone to show you around. There’s a lot more to do here than there is in Leeds 😉
Totally an addict but unlike you haven’t been able to take a really long time off as yet. But lucky nevertheless. A good measure of work life makes my travels possible. I head someplace on work and take off for a few more days for my journeys often.
Incidentally i was in Cinque Terre last year…How did you manage to get that top shot you have as your 1st image? Is that from a hiking trip?
Yes, that photo was from the blue trail between Vernazza and Monterosso! Such a beautiful place…
A few years ago I was a girl how never left her country. Year after year we traveled more and more. Now when we are not making plans for our next trip, we are talking about the places we saw. 🙂
I TOTALLY identify with your post. At 70, my husband and I KNOW our “runway” is getting shorter and have been traveling to Europe every chance we get since 1995. We start planning our next trip on our flight TO Europe each time. Don’t stop! Enjoy each experience. This is a great addiction.
That’s amazing! Thank you for your comment, Beverly. 🙂
Absolutely love your blog Brenna, your writing is fantastic. This post describes my current life at the moment. Like you, I can completely relate to being ‘privileged’ in holding a Canadian passport that allows me visa-less entry to most countries. I’m addicted to travelling because of the adrenaline rushes it brings me and its the one place where I always feel happy and free to be myself. At this moment, I’m experiencing a little bit of travel withdrawal after returning home from a trip, but I’m also happy to be back home and looking forward to all the great things to come in ‘real life.’
70 1/2 and still traveling. Wanderlust has never wavered. Just got back from 6 1/2 weeks to London, Spain, Iceland and Lake District of Italy. All solo travel. Already planning a few weeks to Cinque Terre/lucca and Chianti for next year. . It had been about 8 years in between travels and was a bit nervous at my age. But no real problems- maybe just Easy jet- with their one carry on rule. Happy memories- Enjoying processo and salad caprese and gelato every day! Sirimione at lake Garda, day trip to Morocco and riding a camel where the Mediterranean meets the atlantic, glacier ride and ice cave in Iceland., just sitting and looking at lake maggiore with snow capped mountains in background. Travel helps the soul. Enjoyed reading your blog