Why we miss travel: The real reason we miss travel so much
Since the Coronavirus pandemic began and the travel industry started to suffer, trips have been rescheduled, flights cancelled and cruises potentially stopped forever! Unfortunately for us travellers, this has meant that we have been stuck at home, suffering from withdrawal symptoms and dreaming of the next getaway! But what exactly is the real reason we miss travel so much?
Travel has many benefits, but it is actually the psychological effects that these benefits provide that make us so connected with travel. This strong psychological affinity is the real reason we miss travel so much. And it is these patterns in the way we think that I will be explaining in this post.
Before we get started…
I want to say that, yes, obviously in some places you are allowed to travel to some extent. But let’s be honest, the “new normal” isn’t even close to the golden age of travel that had preceded what I am now dubbing as the “COVID-age” of travel.
The age in which the countries we want to visit are closed off; insurance companies won’t cover us; the atmosphere in restaurants has been lost; once popular activities aren’t running; prices aren’t the same, and the uncertainty is very, very real!
I mean, who wants to spend their holiday worrying whether rules and regulations are going to change so that you have to quarantine for two weeks when you get home? And don’t even get me started on facemask tan lines!
We miss travel because we feel trapped
Preamble aside, the main reason that we miss travel so much is simply that we feel trapped.
Whether for the right or wrong reasons, travel is a form of escapism.
We leave our “normal” lives to do something completely different. When we travel, we break the routine, we leave our homes behind, try new foods, shop in new places and interact with new people! Everything is different.
Travel is fantastic for experiencing new things and escaping reality!
And on top of that. All of these new experiences stimulate us, make us feel good, and help us grow and develop as individuals.
But beyond just the physical changes – things we see, smell, touch, and taste. When we travel we also escape different emotions.
We leave behind the worries, the stresses, the annoying bosses in our lives.
It provides us with a much-needed break from the monotony of our day-to-day lives, which if I’m honest is far too work-heavy! Burnout is real, and without a break then things can get tough.
2020 has given us plenty that we would love to escape from. However, we are currently trapped in a form of purgatory waiting for something to change. As a society, many of us are emotionally burnt out; each day in need of some relief which we would normally take in the form of travel.
For some, even just taking away the option of travel (even if we had no solid plans) removes our freedom and makes us feel trapped.
Humans are innately mobile creatures, and restricting our ability to move around and explore the earth is naturally going to make us feel trapped. Particularly when our environment makes us want to escape, just as COVID is doing to many of us.
We want what we can’t have
As the old saying goes: you often want the things that you can’t have.
With our inability to flee the country and roam the planet, the world of travel is feeling ever more distant while we are at home.
Unfortunately for us travellers, this increases our perceived value of travel and magnifies our feelings of wanderlust.
You can’t seriously tell me that you wouldn’t want to be on a tropical beach somewhere sipping on a beer (or cocktail) instead of being at home right now?
We miss having direction
Without travel, there is less to look forward to.
There are many people out there who live to travel. They work and work and save and save just so they can hop on a plane and explore somewhere new! Without this end goal, their purpose is compromised meaning that they feel unmotivated and directionless.
Equally, at the opposite end of the spectrum, “lost nomads” are left even more lost!
Those who are constantly on the road are left in a position they have never experienced before. Travel is their norm, and without it, there is a huge void to fill. All their belongings are in one bag, they’re meant to be on the move. Now they can’t be, it’s weird to settle and they miss travelling!
We miss the emotions that travel incites
As mentioned earlier, travel allows us to escape some emotions and have a break from our “home” mindset.
But instead of just escaping, one of the reasons we miss travel itself is because we miss the emotions that our travel experiences create.
Yes, absolutely it is great to see and do new things, and that is what travel is partly about. However, it is the way it makes us feel that is currently making us yearn for it.
These emotions are unique and a novelty to travel which means that being at home doesn’t suffice.
Some of the feelings we associate with travel are happiness, freedom, clarity of mind as well as fewer cares and worries.
What makes missing these even worse is: that in times of COVID, there is more uncertainty, more anxiety and worry. So what do you do? You put travel on a pedestal! You dream of it and, once again, you try to escape reality by dreaming!
This only makes you miss travel more because now it is in your mind.
Dreaming of travel
I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to dream! In fact, I recommend it.
But I feel like it is good to be aware of the thoughts running through your mind and know why you are thinking about these things. Only then can you act on it.
I allow myself time to dream but also try to balance this with considering why exactly I am seeking this form of escapism. This allows me to ground myself and appreciate what I am lucky to have around me.
If I am dreaming of climbing huge mountains. I understand that despite being nowhere near any mountains in London, I can go for some exercise in an open space. Though not quite the same, it definitely ticks some of the same boxes and helps me deal with my wanderlust.
What to do
If this you are still struggling to curb your hunger for travel then there are still a few things you can do.
- Check out my post on how to cure your wanderlust. If you haven’t already given it a read there are plenty of ideas to help reignite the travel demon inside of you!
- Travel carefully. 2020 is the year of the staycation. You can obtain the vast majority of your travel needs closer to home than you think. There will be plenty of places that you’ve taken for granted in your country that are still yet to be explored by you!
- Day trip. Planning a day trip may give you the same excitement as planning a longer trip if you treat it the same way! And the best thing is that you can do loads and loads of them!
- Focus on the reasons behind your urge to travel and focus on fulfilling them. If you want to feel free, meditation may do the trick. If you want to escape work, then using your leave to focus on one of your hobbies for a week could help.
Summary
The reason we miss travel so much is that travel has a huge number of psychological benefits that we are currently unable to access.
Unfortunately, this has coincided with a time when we would normally want access to them. For example:
- Coronavirus has made us more stressed. A getaway would normally help clear our minds, but we can’t have one.
- Coronavirus has made us feel more restricted. Travel would normally give you the freedom to do whatever you want, but currently, our destinations are restricted and it is out of our control.
But remember, travel will become safer again. Until then, try to embrace your wanderlust, try to understand why it is occurring and make it a positive thing.
Before you go
Thank you for reading my thoughts on why we miss travel so much. If guides, itineraries and travel content like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more.
If you are new to Matt’s Next Steps, check out the About Me page to find out a bit more about who I am, my travel adventures, and why I wanted to become a travel writer.
Please comment below and let me know your thoughts and experiences, or if there is anything else you want information on.
Happy travelling!
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