Catching the Travel Bug: Pros and Cons

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There was a point in my life where I had tried the Uni thing that everyone expected of me, I had tried the live-in boyfriend thing which everyone tried to talk me out of and I had tried the full-time work thing which was beneficial to my bank account but not so much to my wellbeing. I tried being the party girl, the homegirl (as in staying at home eating chocolate and watching chick flicks with my mum, not some gangster), the studious student, the workaholic, the slob, the doer, the planner and, eventually, the emotional wreck (that one was unintentional).

 I basically spent most of my life either reflecting on the past or stressing about the future and I've never been good at just living in the moment. I always needed and wanted a plan and a goal and I could never figure out what I wanted, especially in high school. I would make myself sick with worry and when all my "plans" fell apart leaving me with an unfinished film degree, a failed relationship (sounds so dramatic I was only 18) and no clue what I wanted to do with my life, I had to move back home. I really felt lost because all of a sudden I had to create a new plan. Eventually, after working two jobs, buying my first car and planning to return to uni, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had an itch that none of these things were scratching. I couldn't pretend to want what I didn't want, so I did something quite spontaneously and walked into a travel agency, booked a huge European trip and a flight to England and I didn't tell anyone about it.

 It seemed like such a big deal at the time and I suppose it is a pretty significant thing to do when your eighteen/nineteen. It was just something that had always appealed to me and I felt like going back to uni would have been a lie. I didn't see the point in studying something I didn't want to pursue in the long run and if I didn't know what it was I DID want to pursue (career wise) then surely uni could wait. The thing is, I was half expecting to go on my Europe travels for a few months and then trek home once the itch was satisfactorily scratched. However, the more I travelled, the hungrier my travel bug seemed to get and I can honestly say that I don't think I'll ever "get it out of my system".

 I've been away from home for almost a year now, and in that time I've been on a lot of planes, many bus and train journeys, I've visited a whole bunch of famous cities and sights, I've met amazing people from all over the world and I've never felt more alive. I've also worked a lot, and lived with family and have been doing the whole "routine" thing again (but overseas) except this time I'm smack bang in the centre of Europe (metaphorically speaking) and can hop on a plane and be in another country within the hour (crazy!). Although I'm technically not "travelling" right now, I'd still put myself into that category and I wanted to share some of the pros and cons of leading a "travelling" life.
PRO'S
You get to visit and explore new places all the time

You fall in love with cities and people all over the world

You get to experience new cultures and lifestyles

 You feel free and alive, like the world is your oyster

 There are 1000 books and blogs to read about tips, trips and everything in between

 You could never run out of destinations to visit

 You're living life in the moment, not stressing or worrying about work or drama or anything, it's just you and the world

 Your instagram has never looked so damn good
CON'S
You are constantly moving around and living out of a suitcase

You spend most of your life on buses, trains, planes or in airports 

 You set up roots all over the world and therefore always feel like you're missing someone/somewhere 

 You miss your pets so damn much it makes your heart hurt

 You don't know when to stop- or even if it's possible- once you've started

 It's expensive and you eventually have to stop to work a crappy job

 It is rare to visit somewhere you can "cross of the list" because you want to re-visit them all

 You miss the little things about home life, like your dads cooking and your mums cups of tea

 You have to be a little un-materialistic to travel well- and sometimes you just miss owning things

I am in no way whining or saying that travelling isn't the best thing ever (because it is). I just wanted to give a little insight into the reality of travelling because a lot of people romanticise it or leave out all the things that make it a tiny bit exhausting. The pro's by far out weigh the cons, however I couldn't travel full time because I would miss having a "home" and some consistency. But I could definitely do it for long periods of time as long as I got to settle down for a while in between. You really don't realise how much you miss the little things in life, even just things like having access to washing machines, having the privacy of your own bathroom and even just being able to sleep in darkness and peace and quiet.


Obviously overall it's amazing to even have the opportunity to travel, as most people in the past could never even consider it. We are so lucky to have the option and I honestly think that everyone should experience travelling at some stage in their lives. You have plenty of time in your life for university and boyfriends and full time jobs and everything else. Travel whilst you are young and able and can do it without a care in the world, without debt, without anything tying you to a place, without responsibilities and with an open mind and a full heart.

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