Obsessed with Travel
 

I love to talk about travel so much, but everyone I know is only moderately interested. I am absolutely passionate about the subject and can talk about it endlessly. How can I satisfy this eternal craving? I can only travel for 1-2 weeks at a time about 3 times a year. That leaves me with 48 weeks to read and talk about it. I feel as though I am obsessed. Help!

I know what you mean! I think I'm obsessed with Travel. I have a friend who also loves travelling and we constantly joke about how we should be "commited to a travel sanitarium." I am more obsessed now because I live in NY and the weather has been so bad and I haven't had a change to go on vacation. <BR>I booked a vacation to Italy for the end of May and the I can't wait.

Take up residence here. The assortment of role models for you here is - - well, quite an assortment! <BR>

Great thread, if you're obsessed -- and I know EXACTLY what you mean about finding like-minded people. But if the consequences of being obsessed with travel consist of a little smaller home, a few more miles on a car before it's replaced and a WORLD of experiences for myself and my family, then where is the vice in any of that?

Could not agree more with Jim. When I leave this planet, my home and car will remain, but I'm taking all of my travel memories with me!!

WOW!!! And here I thought I was the only person around so obsessed with travel! It's good to know there are lots and lots of us! Wish we had a chatroom where we could chat about travel. Oh, well.....Poland next trip in August. Can hardly wait!

Marina - - did you say Poland in August? could you wait until September? Do you know about the Art Hussey ("Fodorites") trip? Search "vlads castle". <BR>

I have friends who cannot for the life of them understand my wanting to go away and see/do new things all of the time. I figure - hey -you're off having babies and raising a family, I'm off on a new adventure! I think I need one of those "Hi. I'm ldsant and I'm addicted to travel. . .programs" *sigh* But, what a lovely addiction to have, right? Just returned from Paris/Belgium last week - off to Hawaii next month and then my long awaited trip to New Zealand this fall (and no, I'm not wealthy, retired, etc. . .I just REALLY love to travel!)

Laura, I know exactly what you mean! I'm in NYC also. My next trip is in May, to Atlanta, and I'm counting the days! <BR> <BR>I grew up in an airline family, so I've always had the bug. But I'm the black sheep in my extended family, who can't understand why anyone would want to stray from the safety of the familiar. *groan* :)

CG-I know exactly what you mean. I can't even go on one trip when I start thinking about and planning where I want to go next. It doesn't help matters much that I am a travel agent and have to hear about and see all the fabulous places my clients are going:) My family just doesn't understand my obsession!

Hey, it's great to know I'm not the only one like this. I do have a willing travel companion - so far - but none of my best friends are very interested. Not enough even to look at my pictures. If anyone would like to e-mail me anything (something) about your travels I'd be very happy. I'm just back this month from Bali/Hong Kong and next month we go to Helsinki/Stockholm/Tallinn. Thinking about Sri Lanka next spring. Wish that Yemen, Iran and Cuba were possible. Hope to hear from someone. Roy

Hi Interesting thread. I'm obsessed also as is my wife. we solved the problem several years ago. She works for a major airline now and we travel as often as we can. Unfortunatly my job doesn't permit me to take more than 2 weeks of at a time so that limit us. I have more time off than my wife does but we get away for weekends or even have gone around the US for lunch and returned. A travel habit is a terrible thing to waste adjust your lifestyle to it rsather than the other way around. Just enjoy whatever time you have to travel. <BR>alan

What a magnificent obsession we share. Thank God my husband loves travel as much as I do. Have been to all 50 states as well as many European countries, South America, Mexico, Carribean, etc. When we are old and broke we will have lots of pictures and good memories of our trips. Scandinavia and Russia next. Any tour suggestions?

A good friend of mine talked me into our first major international trip 18 years ago by asking: "Do you think when you are 90, you will say 'I'm glad I didn't waste my money having fun in the Carribbean when I was young. Now I have enough money to be sick for another week' ". Well, THAT sold me on my new priorities and we've NEVER regretted that!

Me too. Just returned from 16 days in Italy and am ready for my next trip. And I love reading and learning about all the possibilities. How will I ever get to see and do all that there is????I don't really understand people that don't "get it"...that have limited interest in seeing the world....and tasting it!

Thanks to everyone who has posted a reply. For some reason it is comforting to know there are others who can relate to what I am feeling. The "non-travelers" just don't understand. I am always planning my next trip -- in fact I have the next 15 years planned. Also, I feel that the internet has opened up a new world for me with wonderful sites like this. Thanks again.

I, too, am a travel fanatic. I start thinking about my next trip as soon as I have returned from the last! I stop at Barnes and Noble regularly just to see the new travel books. It is such a comfort to feel that cool, glossy book between my two hands knowing that it is full of new places I have yet to experience! <BR>My friends don't travel too much except to Florida. It makes it harder to share. I did take some friends to Europe on a small group tour that I got together. It was fun...but, they are not the fanatic that I am!<BR>I love this forum. I enjoy hearing about everyone's trips! <BR>My pictures are taken out regularly. Some nights I entertain with an Italian theme and use my pottery I have collected from there. Anything to surround myself in it, to remember it!<BR>I play my opera all the time...never fails to put me back to Paris or Vienna or Italy...<BR>Well, thanks for letting me ramble. Here's to your next trip!<BR>Gigi

Great thread-I agree with everyone else.My friends do not understand the inner combustion within me if I do not travel every so often.My suggestion to those who live in cold climates as I do-rent the travel videos from library or video store and feel as though you are with them on the video until your next real trip!Those warm weather country videos in the dead of winter really perk me up.<BR>

How I wish some of you lived near me (or do you?) I start planning a trip even before I go on the next one. (Norhern Italy in 3 weeks) I'm very happy that my husband has decided to join me this time but him not being there has not stopped me in the past. I like "different" so most places in the US don't interest me - maybe when I'm older and can't walk around much.<BR>I live in the Detroit area and we have a travel club called "The Nomads" who own their own plane. I'm thinking of joining so we can enjoy more frequent trips with no planning.

I never knew I had such an addiction until I read this thread!<BR> I must be among the serverely addicted because I travel EVERY WEEK all over the U.S. for my job, then spend all weekend planning leisure travel. <BR><BR>Going to Las Brisas in Acapulco for 10 days at end of April, then to Bora Bora in September, then Rome/Positano/Capri in May/June 2002. <BR><BR>Business travel bites, leisure travel rules!!!

It's nice to know that there are others who are also addicted to travel. My friends don't understand me and even my husband, who enjoys traveling, doesn't have the same passion as I do. I get depressed on the return flight home because I know that my next trip to Europe will have to wait for another year. I'm trying to decide if I should take shorter trips so I can go more often. But the problem is once I'm on my trip, there is so much to see and do that I not ready to come home.<BR>I enjoy spending time at the book store reading about travel and planning my next trip. I'm glad that I discovered this website several months ago because I have really enjoyed reviewing the posts, checking out the places that I've been and researching places that I would like to visit next. In fact, my husband and I just recently started a travel club in our area with the goal of meeting "like minded people" who were interested in sharing experiences. We had 55 "travel addicts" at our first meeting and I was amazed at the exotic places some of these people had visited. Hopefully, we can get some first hand tips on special places to visit and interesting things to do and see that are not in traditional guide books.We are heading to Southern Spain this summer and it can't come soon enough!

Actually I hate travel, its just the the devil makes me do it.<BR>

Wow, I just saw this thread! Now I know my obsession is not totally abnormal. I plan 2 or 3 trips at a time. If only I had the money to do all that I want. My husband loves travel only if the destination if white sand and blue waters. I like that too but I love travel anywhere and everywhere. I love to meet people, see historical sites, taste and feel the culture! I'm getting carried away. My daughter is 8 and she is starting to get very interested in travel. In her 3rd grade class a few weeks ago they were writing and the topic the teacher told them to write on was "unexpectatly finding a sleepin giant", she wrote about seeing Mt.Vesuvius! What do you think, Am I bringing her up right!? Thanks to all you guys for all the travel entertainment and advice. Alison

cg, sounds like you may benefit from a "Travel Intervention". Possibly my husband can arrange one. After the Intervention Team Contact, the group will whisk you away to a travel rehab center (yes, the dread travel sanitarium). There mild electric shocks will be administered while you drink your favorite European wine and have a go with some delicate bread and later gelato. Other cures, too secret to reveal, will follow. In no time at all you will - like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz - be chanting, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home" and Black and White Kansas will, indeed, begin to once more seem appealing. (Be warned though, as there really is no cure as yet, the recidivist rate is quite high.)

One of the things that I love doing is using the internet to check out the webcams around the world. This keeps my mind focused on saving my money for the next trip. For example, I enjoy London and so watch the webcams at www.camvista.com. It's the next best thing to being there.

I'm obsessed with travel. It is my second most favorite activity. I love it and have no apologies. My wife says that I am the happiest when I am at the computer planning a trip.<BR><BR>But many times when I meet someone new, I find myself talking too much about travel, and that makes me feel bad. I have to remind myself that some people don't have the same passion about it as myself. Mea culpa, twenty lashes.

Me too, Phillip. I look at scenes from Dublin, Galway and Edinburgh also. I think it is fascinating. If some one wants to know the what the weather is like, check out camvista.com. Judy :-)