The Travel Bug Has Hit
The travel bug has hit me lately. I guess that’s a silly thing to say, because I ALWAYS want to travel, but…
Whenever the seasons change it hits me especially hard. I don’t know what it is, but I want to be moving and seeing new things. Maybe it’s just me admitting how much I love variety and exploring.
And it doesn’t help that great deals on trips to places I’d love to go show up in my email. We’ll probably take a few short trips this year instead of one longer one, mostly because we’re short on vacation time.
Do you have any trips planned for the year? How much do you typically spend on travel each year? Do you try to save money on vacation?
This is my weakness- maybe I shouldn’t use that word. I am probably one of the most frugal people I know- but when it comes to vacations- we don’t hold back. We don’t spend a lot- we just find ways to do extraordinary things, without spending a lot of money. People are amazed that we spent 14 days in Southeast Asia and probably spent less than they did in Florida for a week. Or that we went backpacking in Eastern Europe as adults and stayed in budget hotels/nice hostels.
Unfortunately we don’t have any big trips planned this year- as I am trying to get my Master’s degree done (so I’m taking both summer sessions- yuck) and my husband is new to a start-up company- so he can’t get away for more than a few days right now.
Our next “big” trip would maybe be India. I’ve been checking out Gap Adventures (who we went to Southeast Asia with) and they have several trips. I loved our trip with them and would recommend them to anyone!!
Erica, I’m with you, I don’t think you should use the word weakness when it comes to traveling :) It sounds like you’ve been on some great trips, and will be headed off to more big ones once you’re able to schedule-wise. Good luck with your big endeavors.
Jackie,
That’s wonderful I think. Not sure where you live, but why not take 3-4 day weekend/weekday vacations? My last Boston trip was quite miserable but most have been a lot of fun.
Thanks to my job, I was able to afford two road trips to CA (2 weeks/2.5 weeks), Weekend at Gettysburgh, 2 Boston trips, 2 Fl trips, 1 Maine trip (all road trips).
I’ve caught the traveling bug and love it. Go for it.
May I ask why India? That’s not somewhere I’d choose to go for vacationing, and I don’t mean that as a result (I was raised in Pakistan for a few years). While there’s a lot to see, it’s just….. hectic as hell. It all dependson what you want to do. G’luck!
Moon, we do plan to take some weekend trips, although probably not 4 day ones. I think the beach is calling me…
Ah, I can relate to this post! Travel is a “weakness” that my wife and I share. However, we try to watch our spending throughout the year, and kind of consider our travels to be an investment in ourselves. We can do without the latest gadgets or fashions, to take trips that make lasting memories and give us a broader perspective on the world.
We also are very frugal in planning our trips. Like Erica, we often travel abroad for about the same as some folks spend in Florida — and we stay in pretty nice hotels. We shop vigorously for airline deals online, then contact a travel company to see if they can beat the price. We also shop hotels online, and sometimes contact the hotel to see if they will give a better deal than what we find online — or sweeten the deal with extras like complimentary breakfast, etc.
Best,
Rob
Rob, I feel the same way. I’d rather have trips than gadgets :)
I’m looking for some staycation tips if you have any Jackie! :)
I don’t have the travel bug anymore. I like to explore the world through travel bloggers now!
Sam
Hm, I’ll have to think on those!