Is the travel bug curable?
The travel bug. For those of you that don’t know, the travel bug, linked closely to wanderlust and is defined by Google search as “strong desire to travel”, affects more than 100,000 million people across the world EACH YEAR. Having the capacity to get stronger each time you give in to its wants, the travel bug seems to be taking control of most peoples lives.
The travel bug has coped a large amount a publicity for the adverse effects it can have on one. Affecting each person a little differently, scientists are still unsure of why we suffer from the travel bug. They do of course have their theories though. It’s speculated that with a combination of wanting to experience other cultures, try new foods, engage with new people, escape old routine, see new waterfalls and the obvious, from breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend all have a positive correlation with us being susceptible and falling victim to this life-changing epidemic.
(Standard waterhole hangout for those infected)
How to spot someone with travel bug?
There are admittedly varying levels of the travel bug. From a far, an infectee can be spotted usually with colourful and decorative bands around their wrists and ankles. The covert carriers usually need a drink or two to open up about their journey and how amazing it was. That’s when you know they’ve been affected. And yes, if you’ve been sitting with them for long enough to hear their stories, then unfortunately there’s not much that can be done to help you either.
At least once in our lives, we will come across someone who has been effected with travel bug. They may even present themselves to be completely normal . Now don’t be fooled … It must be made clear that you should treat this person as adverse. If you dare even listen to how many pina coladas they had in the Caribbean or about the time they went to the Galapagos Islands and saw a giant turtle, you will fast become victim to the same plague. Once affected by the travel bug you become a carrier!! You literally are transporting this highly contagious disease from one person to another (uh-oh)
(Photo taken by myself whilst under the influence of the TB)
Effects of travel bug?
Now the effects of the travel bug can vary from individuals. However it is generally well agreed upon that once infected with the travel bug, the carrier will continue to want to explore the world and carry on adventuring. There have even been reported cases of delusion within certain societies where the infected were reported saying that they had successfully flushed the bug out of their system and that they were on the mend and to have only been seen five months later taking selfies from the top of Machu Picchu.
(Photo of highly infected group)
So is it curable?
So going back to the original question of if the travel bug is curable. In simple, no. No it is not. Unfortunatly you will turn into a carrier aka a traveller, and you will be enslaved to a life of travelling the world … all up until you have another lapse and believe that you’ve been cured. These episodes usually last anywhere from a couple of weeks up to a few years. Some people even try buying houses or having children to get rid of it, when little do they know, they are instead harvesting a travel bug infested family with whom they will explore the world and nievely infect everyone that they come across.
Happy Travels!
(read of some of my other blogs that I wrote whilst under the influence of the travel bug here)