I don’t believe you can ‘get’ the travel bug. It’s one of those things that we are born with and whether or not you’ve discovered it, once you have it, you’ve got it for life.
So the question really should be: How to discover the inner travel bug? How do we uncover that little secret spot in our hearts that wants to get out of our comfort zone and start traveling?
To answer the question we should first understand what a travel bug is. The travel bug really is the desire to travel. To discover the travel bug is like opening up a whole new world. When we are presented with our first opportunity to travel and experience different cultures and people, it will naturally tap into our curious nature and the inner desire to want to travel more.
Want to get to know your inner travel bug?
The first obvious answer is to travel. Preferably travel to somewhere completely different to your background and culture. Try South East Asia or South America, where there are rich and colorful cultures completely different to what they call the ‘western norm’. Experience how they live, what they eat and the many stories that goes with their traditions and festivities and let your curiosity boom.
Look at everything. Speak to different people. Meet your fellow traveler and when you return home, share your experience with your family and friends.
The desire will come, when you have settled back in your daily life and realizing that you thirst for more.
Or, if you are still waiting to save up for your first trip, then start reading and looking at photos of various locations. The travel section of bookshops are great. Go and spend an afternoon flipping through several books on different countries and photography books, soak in the beauty of this world and start day dreaming: Where would I like to go? The more you read and learn, the more desire you’ll have to want to visit these places.
The more you travel, the more likely you’ll uncover that inner travel bug; the stronger the bug, the more you’ll want to travel. Let your travel bug grow by becoming more adventurous and daring; seek out your most desired destinations and go for it; seek out the odd locations off the beaten path; learn more about the cultures, speak to the people; the more you learn and hear, the more your travel bug will grow.
Once your travel bug has matured, it’ll make you want to travel everywhere, even to the most remote parts of your own country, where many of us fail to realize, are the best travel destinations and a chance for all of us to learn more about where we come from.
And if by the end of all this, you still haven’t got the travel bug and feel like you are being forced to travel, perhaps you are one of those who simply weren’t born with the bug. There is no need to compete for the travel bug, so in this case, simply sit back and enjoy life the way you want it to be.