How I caught the “Travel Bug”

Before I continue writing about my trips, I wanted to write an article to give a little background on this travelling habit, or should I say, the Travel Bug I caught 🙂

For those who have been living outside of your country, you probably know what I am talking about! Even if you lived abroad for a short period of time, a couple of months, it feels like you caught a bug, and it becomes like a need, a strong attraction you can’t resist!

I always wondered why I had this strong attraction for travelling.

When travelling is in your veins

I guess it started very young. First of all, I am French, but as soon as I was born, my parents brought me to Germany where my father was working.

And my mum was born on the beautiful island of Madagascar. I remember her showing me the planes and telling me that my grandparents would come and visit us all the way from Madagascar thanks to those planes.

I was amazed! And every time I saw a plane in the sky I thought of my grandparents and how much I would like to visit them. Which I ended up doing, and I have talked about, and will keep doing in other articles. Madagascar is fascinating!

Then I did not get a lot of opportunities to travel, as my parents did not have the means to even go on holidays. But we were visiting family in Marseille, where my parents met.

And for me that was already something amazing. Growing up in the North, I had the opportunity to enjoy the sun, the sand, the sea! Awesome stuff for a kid! I remember coming back and feeling depressed thinking I would not be able to see the sea for so long…

Making travelling a lifestyle

Later on, came a great experience: IRELAND.

But not just Ireland. The Erasmus experience… I will also write about it of course! But that was definitely where I got the real travel bug! From that moment on, I could not stay quiet. As a matter of fact, after leaving Ireland, I was so depressed in France, I decided to go somewhere else. Germany, but it was never the same… and eventually, I went back to Ireland! This time for a long time, as an expat! And I worked for one of the biggest travel agencies in the US. So I had plenty of travel vouchers, free accommodation, etc and that was absolutely AWE-SOME!

Every single holiday I had, I went somewhere. It did not matter where, as long as I took a plane or a train, and went away! I just wanted to discover the world.

And of course, I had some dream destinations in mind. Some I even managed to visit!

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That was another dream coming true… my trip to Thailand! 🌏 14 years ago, around April 2006… a very important time in my life. I decided to let go someone I loved 💔 who was hurting me. 🛫Take a wonderful holiday with my girlfriends, and start fresh! And when I expected it the least, I ended up in the same party than that guy I found so cheerful, friendly and handsome.. and we talked. 🍹 This trip to Thailand was more than a simple trip. It opened my eyes and my spirit. It made me a stronger person and a more confident woman. 🌴We had some scary experiences in Thailand, and it just made me stronger! 🌸 I learnt that you need to be extremely careful when you are a young woman traveling. People can take advantage and you shouldn't show you're scared. Otherwise they win. And after that bad experience in Chiang Rai, we got so strong that only great experiences happened! We only met nice people, especially in Phuket and surroundings. I will never forget that intense trip!🌴🌴🌴 And I hope to go back, but this time I've learnt and it's not in Phuket that I'll stay, although it's always a nice stop! Thailand has so much more to offer!! Follow my blog, I promise I'll write about that trip soon 😉 And you, any trip that changed your life? Tag a friend who shared that trip with you! Or share a photo of you and tag us @worldtravel_able with your story! 🌴🌴🌴 ☀☀☀ 🏝🏝🏝 🌸🌸🌸 #dreamcometrue #holiday #tripofalifetime #thailand #thaibeaches #sunnyday #14yearsago #travelbackintime #memories #wewilltravelagain #staysafe #travellater #travelsoon #accessibletravel #rrr #nomoreplastics #nomadlife #respectnature #conservation #live #love #lovenature #besttrip #beautifuldestinations #instapic #instatravel #worldtravelable

A post shared by World Travel Able (@worldtravel_able) on May 22, 2020 at 4:52am PDT

Now it became a habit. More than a habit, it became an obsession. If I don’t travel, I get almost depressed. It does not matter where, even if it is not far from home but I need to go.

Travelling, no matter the challenges

And even if I have had lots of challenges lately with my health, I did not want to give up travelling. It makes me so happy. It is something I cannot explain…

It goes beyond anything else. That’s why I call it the travel bug!

I do not care if I do not have a big-screen TV, if I do not have a car, or if I do not have the latest mobile phone. I do not even like going shopping! What I love is shopping for flights or holidays! That was also my job for over 5 years.

But it makes me feel like a different person. I am present, all my senses are totally alert. I will remember smells, sounds, tastes, images, smiles, stories…

When I lived in Ireland, where I didn’t know anybody, I also realized how much I love learning from other people. Although I am an introvert, I do not feel that way when I get the chance to talk to someone who is sharing his or her story with me. I feel special, I feel lucky to hear what they have experienced on this planet, I love to know what they think about everything. No judgement, pure listening. I admire what they have achieved. Every person is a world. When they share their stories I also feel like I am travelling in some way.

For me this is life. This is what makes life worth living. Opening up to others, opening up to the world!