The Travel Bug

I have a confession to make my friends; I have been bitten by the travel 'bug'.  And I've got it bad.

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  (Travel bug, to be bitten by the travel bug (idiom)- to have a strong desire to travel.)  

It's quite likely contagious, potentially incurable, and I've had it for as long as I can remember.  It's that itch you feel when you're in one place for too long, that excitement you get as you make all the travel preparations, the rush that overcomes you as you step into a world you had only previously read about it books or seen on television; it's the feeling of exploring something new and unique.

Strawberry Fields (Central Park), NYC

My grandparents were world travelers and I remember growing up among artifacts, letters, coins, and postcards from all over the globe.  I held onto every story, every travel anecdote they shared and I longed for the day when I could follow in their traveling footsteps.  My 'bug' started out innocently enough; traveling through the United States and Canada with my family as a child.  But as I grew older and started to travel more, with my school, friends, and now on my own, my need to see the world became insatiable.  As of now I've been in twenty-six of the U.S. states ( including Washington D.C.), one U.S. territory, and seven countries (counting Vatican City), and I don't think I will ever get over the awe of stepping into places that came right out of the pages of my history books.

Teotihuacan, México

El Yunque National Rain Forest, Puerto Rico

Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

Now there may be a few unfortunate naysayers out there who only consider 'real' traveling to be that done outside of your own country.  What possibly cultural differences can be seen within the confines of your own country?  <--*unimpressed*, clearly said by people who have not traveled.  In the United States, like many countries, each state and region has its own unique people, food, and culture.   I for one am dying to take a road trip through the United States like many of my

Marine Corps War Memorial, Washington DC

friends have, just as they may be dying to travel outside its borders.  People forget that the travel bug has no labels or boundaries, it is not defined by where you go but by what you take in. Some of these 'real' travelers can travel all over the world but it does not make them more cultured or enlightened.  Traveling is about how you engage and immerse yourself in your trip.  So don't worry if you have no passport!  Hop in your car, cross those state lines, and catch the travel bug where ever you can because travel is calling your name; even if it's only the thirty minute drive to cross the border of Rhode Island!

Acueducto de Segovia, Spain

Picos De Europa, Spain

Parque de Bombas, Ponce, Puerto Rico

Or maybe it could be naysayers that tell you to grow up, put your travel dreams on hold, that have you time.  They could say that traveling is only for the wealthy so keep dreaming.  That you should settle down, get a job, save your money for your future; traveling can wait right?  WRONG, twenty years from now do you think traveling will be any easier?  That you'll be able to pick up your family, take time off from your career and just go?  I don't think so.  The fact is that as people 'grow up' they continue to put those travel dreams on hold, they may even start to think they're 'too old' for adventure.  There's

French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana

no better time to travel than the present.  Years from now would you regret that trip into the great unknown?  Experiencing a new culture?  Sampling what could be your new favorite food?  I put my dreams to study abroad off because I couldn't afford it at the time.  I regret not having that experience and am now doing all I can to make those dreams possible now by attempting to work in Spain.  So follow your travel dreams whenever you can, catch the travel bug; it doesn't discriminate!  And catching the bug doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg either.  I work multiple jobs and travel because I make traveling a priority.  Yes, I do have enough to pay my bills and travel, but at the expense of not getting coffees on my way to work, not buying the latest clothes.  If travel is your priority too then reprioritize your budget and make it happen!

Toledo, Spain

View of St. Peter's Square from the Dome of the Basilica, Vatican City

Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Also remember, traveling isn't about the quantity people!  It's about the quality!  Too often I hear of people traveling to a destination just because it's a travel cliché; oh everyone has to go to Paris, everyone has to go to Rome, everyone has to go to London.  Well you don't have to go anywhere, and

Duomo di Firenze, Florence, Italy

more importantly you don't have to like a city just because you're supposed to.  One of my good friends went to Paris and absolutely hated it but later went to London and fell in love with it.  Another friend went to Paris and also hated it but loved Rome.  A third friend loved both Paris and Rome but couldn't stand London.  I was incredibly sick and felt like dying the whole week I was in Rome, but adored Paris.  Each destination holds something different and unique for each traveler   So remember, always go where you want to go.   If you're just traveling to cross it off some imaginary list of places everyone has to go to, then it won't be meaningful and you just wasted time, money, and your perfect trip that is just waiting somewhere else.  

Metropolis Building, Madrid, Spain

Plaza de Toros de Pamplona, Spain

Notre Dame de Paris, France

So what are you waiting for?  Your perfect travel destination is out there somewhere calling your name!  And never fear, the travel bug will find you, no matter how far or how close you roam; 

"So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." --Mark Twain

Monet's Garden, Giverny, France

Where will your travels take you?