Cabin Fever

[there will be no killing, I promise]

Before I start I have to give the obligatory disclaimer: I love my husband, my dogs, my house, and my friends. I am thankful for my job, my health, and my lifestyle. 

And now that that's out of the way, I can say, without guilt or regret, that I have the strongest case of cabin fever that I have ever had in my entire life. It almost hurts.

I just spent thirty minutes planning a trip to Paris over spring break. A pretend trip, anyway (for now).

[places I want to go. like now.]

I've traveled more than some and less than others; I've been to Hawaii, New York, Italy, Chicago, Cabo, all the states between here and Minnesota, and up and down California. I've had a taste of what's out there, and I want more- it's like reading the first chapter of a book and being told you can't finish (like that would happen). There are so many places I've never been and I know that I'm at a place in my life where picking up and leaving is almost easy. I have a good job with ample time off, some money saved up, and nothing that can't be left behind for a week or two. Easier says than does. 

An overwhelming sense of boredom and frustration for the area in which I live is also a factor- I need a break from the landscape, the people, my routine. I need to hear different languages and to feel like an outsider. There's something freeing in being a tourist- no on knows you or cares what you do. Here I can't even go to Target for fear of running into someone I know and worrying that they'll judge me for wearing yoga pants out in public. 

Plus, I think we're more likely to take risks when we're traveling- being home so often means being safe. When you travel you want to do everything the area has to offer- try to the food, see the art, absorb the culture. Staying put allows you to get stuck in a rut, never really experiencing things that are new or different (unless you make an effort, of course). And on some level being out of your comfort zone allows you to act more authentically- traveling to unfamiliar places poses challenges and decisions that force you to pull from your true self. Being free from burdens, responsibilities, and the expectations of others doesn't hurt either.

Of course, travel isn't for everyone. Some people are content in their homes and geographical bubble, and I do understand that. Travel can be hard. There are itineraries to create, directions to navigate, and obstacles to overcome. Whether it's worth it is up to the individual, I suppose. I think some people have the wanderlust gene, and some don't. 

But I do. It's sort of like male-patterned baldness- once it starts you can't stop it.