Are you addicted to travel, or do you think you know someone who might be? Put down that brochure for a minute and check out our comprehensive list of the tell-tale signs of what we like to call 'severe chronic wanderlust'. You are not alone!
1. You haven’t unpacked your suitcase after your last trip
When you’re a full-time travel addict, unpacking bags is never high on your agenda. In fact, your complete denial about returning to normal life make the experience so traumatic for you that you always seem to put it off. But it’s not all bad: you might lose the odd toothbrush from time to time, but over the years you’ve come to realise that keeping half your wardrobe in suitcases is actually a pretty nifty space-saving solution - and it makes life a lot easier if you suddenly find yourself tempted by a last-minute deal.
2. Your wallet is always full of foreign currency
Be honest, you’re also that annoying person at the checkout who holds everyone up by trying to pay in foreign currency. Those pesky euros, dollars and the occasional rupee just don’t seem to want to leave, however many times you clear them out. It’s not that you have any fraudulent intentions, of course: you’re just resigned to the fact that the contents of your purse will alway be a bit more international than those of the average shopper. And let’s face it - you’re a little proud of it, too.
3. You’ve got airmiles coming out of your ears
One undeniably positive side-effect of travel addiction is what you’ll earn in air miles and other loyalty points if you’re a particularly frequent traveller. Tour operators cracked on to your obsession many moons ago, so you can bet that they’ll do all they can to feed your addiction with offers, discounts and rewards to keep you coming back. The trick is to beat them at their own game: if you’re not already taking full advantage of these valuable incentives, have a read through these tips from The Telegraph on how to make the most of your air miles. For example, did you know that many loyalty schemes can be transferred to a wide range of other airlines?
4. Your friends are missing you
On a gloomier note, you might start to notice that you’re getting a bit ‘out of the loop’ with your less travel-hungry friends. You’ve probably missed some important gatherings, birthdays and even weddings while off on your travels. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, so you can be sure to get a warm reception whenever you returning, ready to regale your nearest and dearest with your exciting travel tales. That is, if they remember who you are…
5. Your travel bucket-list is more of a bucket-book
Most people could reel off a handful of places they really want to visit before they die, but yours is more library than list. What’s more, the more you travel, the more your discover other places you’d really like to get to know - and knowing that you haven’t got there yet really gets to you. You NEED to tick off those destinations to be able to sleep at night! As anyone who travels frequently will tell you, the world gets bigger, not smaller, the more of it you see. You’ll only ever really be happy when your list of ‘places visited’ is longer than the list of ‘places to see’...
6. You have a perma-tan - and it’s real
It’s nice to be an expert, and your established field is undoubtedly the fine art of globe-trotting. You’re forever being copied in to conversations online where a friend-of-a-friend has requested some information on a far-flung place, and you find that people listen when you dish out advice on the best hotels, restaurants and places to avoid all over the world. In fact, you’ve considered taking commissions. Who needs TripAdvisor when your mates have got you?
7. Your boss wants a quiet word…
Some people need to make up holiday days at the end of the year, but you struggle to cram your ambitious travel plans into your allotted time off, however generous a package you’ve managed to negotiate. If you’re a very serious travel fanatic you may well have already built your career up around your hobby: many ‘sufferers’ we know are in roles that allow them to work remotely, or even travel as an integral part of their job. But these options aren’t open to everyone, so if you’re worried about how you’re ever going to square travel with a 9-5 job, check out these great tips on how to make your holiday allowance go further.
8. You feel most relaxed on the road
For many travel addicts the excitement of going away is as much about the journey as the destination, and you’re never more contented than when you’re cruising the open road, watching the ocean from a windswept deck or looking back at the earth from 35,000 feet. You’ve probably made some of your closest friends while on the move, and you’ll never get bored just watching the world go by.
9. Your savings are a travel fund
While your friends are saving up for a new car or kitchen, there’s only one reason you’re putting money away: getting away. You probably know exactly how much you’ve managed to stash away, and more or less the precise number of trips your savings could finance if you decided to jack it all in and go travelling tomorrow. But even if you’re only just getting by, you’ll have a better idea than most of how you can see the world for next to nothing, and you know you’ll do it whether you’re traveling on a big budget or just rocking a backpack.
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Written by Abi Silvester, a London-based writer and editor with a passion for great food, fine wine, coffee and cats; always planning my next trip! Follow her on Twitter.
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