Dreaming of getting wonderfully lost in a foreign town? Yearning for airport information boards and exploring faraway lands? Guess what? You are infected with a severe case of wanderlust! According to scientific discoveries, you have an actual genetic mutation (DRD4-7R) that affects about 20 percent of the whole population across the world. Other symptoms include addicted to souvenirs and having an insatiable desire for new discoveries, adventure and travel. While symptoms vary from one affected individual to another, they all have something in something in common - the constant need to travel.
Think you've been bitten by the travel bug? Here are some signs that you have the wanderlust gene.
You have a pretty active imagination
Since no travel itch will ever be fulfilled completely, you've mastered to take enjoyment out of each stage of everything that resembles... well, traveling.
You take pleasure in browsing through plane ticket sales because, even if you can't appease your wanderlust right now, you can still imagine the places you would go.
Plus, you enjoy vicariously listening to other's travel stories. In fact, you let your imagination soar, and visualize yourself on those places, as you listen to their stories.
You, then, start creating a wish-list of things to do and places to visit for your future trips.
I, once, created a mental list of the best places to visit in the USA, as I was watching a documentary about my country.
You're excellent at stretching your money
Why spend all your hard-earned money at a local club when you can spend the same amount for a week's worth accommodations in Bangkok or Lisbon? If you have the wanderlust gene, you have likely trained yourself to resist the temptation to buy material things, just to save up for travel and future memories.
You know how to live in the moment
Saving money is important mostly because it will let you experience a rocking adventure later on. But, when you are on the other side of the world, you probably won't find yourself exploding from the financial stress. Your discipline and preparation let you seize the day when you're actually out, traveling the world.
You're an optimist
I've never ever met a travel junkie who's pessimistic. That's because they've encountered a plethora of obstacles, and still ended up with a rocking adventure. Missed flights? Wrong turns? Lost in a foreign town? Travelers know that these hurdles are pieces of a grander and bigger puzzle. As a result, these modern-day wanderers have developed a sunnier disposition.
Your phone is like a travel magazine
You know you're a travel addict when you have more snaps of foreign lands than you do of your own city on your phone. Who needs tons of selfies and photos of the food you're eating at a local café when you can swap them for awesome and priceless moments captured for a whole lifetime of storytelling? What's more, you'll be inspiring other people to step outside their comfort zone, and travel the world.
You like to travel without having a solid plan
Those who are born to travel like to lose themselves in the moment, and are always prepared to discover something extraordinary and new. While you do have the prep work and research, sometimes you're just absolutely fine just winging it. As they say, the best and most exciting adventures are the ones that you didn't expect.
You're incredibly curious
Curiosity, whether abroad or at home, goes hand in hand with the wondrous and mysterious wanderlust gene. As a travel junkie, the same old routine is not enough to appease your craving for adventure. New people, new memories and new food are always on the horizon, when you've got a restless and curious sou.
You think travel is a form of education
You've learned more about the world from traveling than you ever did while studying at a university. From politics to geography, you've discovered a lot of cool things by just feeding your impulse and desire to travel the world. When you're infected by the travel bug, you think that traveling is an endless university sans the textbooks and formal professors.
Any signs and symptoms that you'd like to add? Feel free to share your thoughts, ideas and opinions using the comment section!
