Why Do People Travel? the travel obsession explained
Why do people travel?
It’s a simple yet complex question. (does that even make sense?)
People travel for many different reasons. Some people might travel to experience culture, while others travel to find themselves. For every person, it’s different, and for each of us, it’s usually a mixture of many various reasons.
Each traveller has their own definition of what travel means to them, and they prefer different types of travel.
Some of us, like me, love the adventure! To go for a hike to see a view of a breathtaking landscape. To watch the sun set, or rise, on a mountain top. Being outdoors, being in nature, chasing waterfalls and the sun.
Others prefer city life. Going to Paris and checking out the Eiffel Tower and other touristy things.
No version of travel is wrong. Each person travels for a different reason, and travel overall means something different to each person.
Some people don’t like to travel, and that’s okay too. Some just don’t understand why we travellers become obsessed with travelling. They don’t understand the travel addiction and don’t enjoy it or get the point of it. Some of them just get their joy and excitement from other things in life.
For some of us, travel is life; it becomes a lifestyle and a huge part of who we are and who we become.
What is a Person Who Loves Travel Called?
There are many words that can describe a person who loves travelling, but here are some of my favourite travel words that I relate to, and you likely will too.
Hodophile
One who loves to travel; a traveller with a special affinity for roads.
If you are a lover of travelling, then you are absolutely a hodophile. This word is a new discovery for me, and I had no idea there was actually a word for a person who loves to travel.
Dromomania
An abnormal drive or desire to travel that involves spending beyond one’s means and sacrificing a job, partner, or security in lust for new experiences. People with dromomania not only feel more alive when travelling but also start planning their next trip as soon as they arrive home.
Dromomania is a whole other level, and I definitely relate to that one too. Sometimes I’m just willing to risk everything to travel, and travel is a part of my identity and who I am.
I would choose travelling over money and would rather spend my money on travelling than I would on anything else.
Those of us who relate to this won’t let anything hold us back from travelling.
Once getting home, I’m always ready to start planning a new trip! That’s where the travel addiction comes in. It’s like we have this itch, this urge, this desire to go on another new adventure to a new place.
We go on a trip, and we have this boost of happiness from dopamine, and then we want more. Travel is something we love, so it triggers dopamine, making us want more and to keep travelling.
Fernweh
An ache for a distant place; missing places you’ve never been before
Have you ever felt the need to be somewhere you’ve never been? Like a part of you belongs there, or maybe you feel like you’ve lived there in a past life? That’s what fernweh is for me.
It’s like you see pictures of a place, and you just feel called to go there. Your heart desires it, and it’s like the place is missing from you, and you miss it even though you’ve never been.
For me, this place happens to be Norway. Even though Iceland is the number one destination I dream of going to, Norway somehow feels like a place I miss.
One day I was looking into astrocartography, which is the astrology of a place; You can actually use astrocartography to see a map that shows where different planets were at various points on the map during the date and time you were born.
Each line on this map corresponds to a different planet. And many of these lines crossed over a specific country on my chart. At first, I thought that where many lines crossed over meant that’s where I should be living. But my friend, The Gem Goddess, told me it probably meant I lived a past life there.
Where did these lines cross over? Norway and Sweden.
Maybe that explains my pull toward there, maybe not. But for me, Norway is that place.
Wanderlust
a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.
This is probably the most commonly used and most popular travel word out there. If you haven’t heard of it, you’ve been living under a rock!
I actually have this tattooed on my rib. It’s just such a pretty word and relatable for anyone who loves travelling.
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Why Do People Travel?
Like I said, there are a million and one reasons why people travel and love it. Everyone loves travelling for different reasons, and a good mixture of them as well.
But if I listed every single reason, we would be here forever!
There are also many reasons why people don’t travel and why they probably think that travelling sucks! But that’s definitely not what we are going to talk about today.
Let me know why you travel in the comments! I would also love to hear your reasons or if you noticed any missing from this list!
Here are 13 different reasons that explain the travel obsession.
Why Do People Travel? We Travel for the Feeling of Freedom
Have you ever stood on top of a mountain and just thought – “holy crap! This feels amazing!” and you just get overwhelmed with this feeling of freedom?
Many of us travel for that reason, to feel free. To be where we want to be and to do what we want whenever we want.
To feel empowered and like we are on top of the world. Like we can do anything we want.
During your travels, you can let go of most of your responsibilities and enjoy your life how you want. You get to choose what you want to do every day without worrying about much else.
Long-term travellers who take a ton of time off to travel or work online often do this for the feeling of freedom. To be where you want, when you want and not have to worry about being tied down to a specific place or stuck in a job that keeps you in an office every day of the week.
For those who work online, it’s about location freedom, and it’s also about time freedom for those who can choose their work hours.
You get to wake up whenever you want, leave your room whenever you want, and go wherever you want in the place you’re travelling.
You can come up with new ideas and new plans for places to go.
You’re in Scotland one day, spending as much time as you want there until you decide to take off to a new destination.
You can fly to the Philippines, to Malaysia, to Australia, wherever you want, at any time you want.
That’s the incredible thing about long-term travel. You have so much more freedom in life.
Even for those who love short-term travel too. You still get to wake up and leave your room to do whatever you want, and you still get that sense of freedom.
We Travel to Meet New People
One of the best things about travelling and why people travel is meeting new people.
I have met some of the most remarkable people on my adventures, and the best part is that many of these people end up being a lot like you! If you’re off on an adventure and they’re on the same adventure, then chances are you like the same style of travel.
They also get it! They understand your desire and urge to travel. They understand why it’s a part of your life and why you enjoy it so much, as where sometimes people in your life just don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with travelling.
You swap travel stories, share tips, talk about cool places you’ve been to, make recommendations and all that kind of stuff. It’s so much fun to hear about other people’s experiences and why they do it.
It’s also really cool to meet people in hostels and go off adventuring together. Like the time I met a girl from London who invited me to rent a bike with her and her friends, and we went beach hopping all day.
Or the time I was in Bali, and an Australian guy rented a scooter, and we drove 3 hours to get to an epic waterfall!
Some adventures wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for meeting different people, and sometimes these adventures turn into the most incredible experiences!
Sometimes these people will join you for part of your adventure. Some will become lifelong friends, and some will just be interesting people you might never hear from or see again.
But that’s the beauty of it. Each person is different and has their own story.
Just like you have your own story.
We Travel for a Change in Scenery
Why do people travel? For a change in scenery, of course!
I know many people love to travel during Winter just so they can escape the cold and be somewhere tropical and warm.
Or sometimes people travel to go to the ski hills and hit some slopes.
Whatever it is, we travel to see new places and new sights. To see new landscapes and landmarks. To get away from mountains and see the ocean, or vice versa.
We want to see something different from what we usually see daily. That’s why a lot of people love to go somewhere that is wildly different from their own hometown and country.
We crave what we don’t have. It’s like how people with straight hair want curly hair, and people with curly hair want straight hair.
If we have mountains, we want to see the ocean and tropical places. If we are by the ocean, we want to see the mountains.
It’s not always like that; some people live near the mountains and want to go see other mountains. People travel to see different things than they are used to.
Some of us just get bored of seeing the same thing over and over again. It doesn’t mean where we are isn’t beautiful; we just want the excitement of seeing something new!
It makes sense. If we didn’t want a change in scenery, then why travel?
We Travel to Learn About and Experience Cultures
Culture is beautiful, and I think each culture can learn so much from one another.
Each has its own rituals, beliefs, values, morals and way of life. It’s so neat to see how other cultures live their day-to-day lives and hear about everything they believe in.
Learning about and experiencing different cultures not only teaches you more about the world but about yourself as well.
I went to Panama back in 2012, and the teacher who set up the trip took us to one of the Embera Villages that was secluded deep in the rainforest. These people spoke their language, lived off the land and had their own traditions.
Living with this group of people was one of my favourite experiences in Panama. We learned with them, laughed with them, ate with them, and played with them.
They just seemed so happy with the “little” they had. Always smiling, working hard, teaching each other and caring for one another.
We Travel to Find Ourselves
Finding oneself is a huge one for why many people travel. I really wish I had actually done this right after high school.
When I was in high school, I really wanted to take a year after graduating to just travel and find myself. To figure out my life and who I was. To find my passions.
I had no idea what I wanted to be, but I knew travelling was something I loved and what I wanted to do.
You have the chance to experience new places and new cultures, meet new people, and try new things that you wouldn’t otherwise find in your own hometown or country.
All of these new experiences change the way you see the world and the way you see yourself. You start to find out who you are and what you love. Many people find their purpose through travelling.
You meet new people and experience new cultures who can show you a different way of living and teach you lessons you wouldn’t have learned if you didn’t go on that trip.
It makes you more open-minded and forces you to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Travel helps us gain perspective on our own lives, and you gain more confidence and independence while you’re at it.
Travelling really does change you, and it shapes you into an entirely new person if you go beyond the resort type of travel.
If you ever want to find yourself, who you are, and what your purpose is, travelling can help with that.
Why is Everyone Obsessed with Traveling? For the Views!
Pretty much anyone who travels wants to see an incredible view.
And each person has their own idea of what an incredible view is. It could be the Great Pyramids of Giza, a black sand beach in Iceland, Niagara Falls, a sunset in Santorini, a view from a mountain top, or the London Bridge.
Some people prefer chasing the sun to watch the sun rise or set on an epic landscape, climbing mountains, epic views by a coastline, hiking to a stunning location, and chasing waterfalls. Those are some of the types of views I travel for.
While others travel more for views in the city. Like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Big Ben, and other man-made structures.
And some people prefer to go on holiday somewhere tropical and have a stunning view of the beach and ocean.
Others like a mixture of both. But overall, we are all travelling to see something.
We Travel to Try Delicious New Food and Cuisine
Are there any foodies out there?
You guys get this one for sure!
Pretty much every country has their own specialty when it comes to food!
For Canada – it’s maple syrup!
Totally kidding; I’d probably have to say it’s the good old Quebec poutine. If you want the best poutine, it’s gotta be from there!
But some people love travelling because the food in each place is so unique. You can always try to make it at home or get it at a restaurant in your own country, but it won’t be the same.
Eating foods from their own country is so much better, and it’s authentic and made the right way.
You’ll never have pizza better than the pizza in Italy, or tacos better than the tacos in Mexico, or pastries and bread better than the pastries and bread in France.
You’ll also find food in new places you travel to that you’ve never even heard of before. When travelling to a new country, I also prefer to eat authentic food rather than going out and getting some fast food.
We Travel to See New Wildlife
Some people are animal lovers. I mean, who isn’t an animal lover?
And people who are animal lovers also love travelling to see new wildlife they wouldn’t see in their own country.
You can always go to a zoo, but I prefer not to. I don’t really support zoos, and I believe animals are meant to be left in their homes in the wild.
The only exception is animal sanctuaries, where they are trying to bring back up the population and protect the species.
Besides, isn’t seeing a lion in its natural habitat much more exciting and wild than seeing one in a cage at the zoo?
Each country has incredible, unique and new wildlife to discover.
Just imagine going on an African safari and seeing all the wildlife that Africa offers. Like lions, zebras, gazelles, tigers, elephants, rhinos, and so much more!
Or going to the Galapagos Islands, where there’s wildlife that is unique to only those islands?
Seeing wildlife in another country is always exciting – heck, I even get excited when I see a moose or deer in Canada!
Some People Travel to Escape Reality
Travelling to escape reality is another big one.
Some people have stressful jobs that they just need a break from. Some people go through bad breakups and need to escape for a while.
Travel is a great way to relieve stress and is amazing for your mental health.
And sometimes, the reality we want to escape is simply just a cold, harsh winter.
People want to escape because they want what they don’t have back at home. Whether it’s different scenery, better weather, or experiences they couldn’t have in their own hometown.
Sometimes we travel to escape reality hoping to find answers in other places that could tell us that life doesn’t have to be the way it is. We hope to find a new perspective. Think of Eat, Pray Love.
Some people just want an escape from their day-to-day life, their job, and the people around them, or an escape from the negative things in their lives.
Just to get away from everything and forget about it all for a while.
The only issue is that we shouldn’t feel the need to escape reality. We should travel, instead, for life to not escape us! Not to escape from life.
In reality, when we come home, we may have a new outlook on life and a different perspective. We’ll have grown in many ways and feel healed in many ways, but we’ll still come back to the same reality.
If we truly want our reality to change, we have to make a choice to make the changes we need to have a happier life. Running away from it all likely won’t help.
If you want the honest truth, there is more to life than just working your 9-5, having children and doing what society expects you to do. If that’s what you want and love, that’s amazing too.
Everyone has their own path and has the choice to create their own reality. If you don’t like something, you’ve got to make a choice to change it.
We Travel to Have a New Adventure and Explore
Why do people travel? People often travel to explore and to have a new adventure!
We, as humans, are always craving new experiences. We can get our craving fix by exploring and adventuring to new places.
We can explore new countries, rainforests, oceans, coastlines, National Parks and other cool places in nature.
Or we can go on wild adventures like scuba diving, snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef, climbing Mount Everest, or hiking through the Himalayas.
We can go on an adventure that includes a multiday hike, taking a helicopter somewhere super secluded, or just exploring a new country.
There are many ways to fuel your desire for adventure, and there is a whole world out there full of incredible experiences.
Trying something new is all a part of the adventure, and the best place to try something new is somewhere else in the world.
We travel because we have a sense of adventure; we crave it.
We Travel to Check Things Off Our Bucket Lists
Everyone’s bucket list looks different. And any traveller with a bucket list travels to check these items off their list.
Some people travel to see the 7 Wonders of The World, and some travel because their goal is to step foot on every continent or even pee in every ocean.
Some people’s bucket lists consist of travelling to as many countries as they can. Or to hike the 10 highest mountains.
Maybe it’s to see the Great Migration or to discover other cultures to learn from them. Or they want to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef.
Someone’s bucket list could be to backpack across Europe or Central America.
Whatever it is, they will travel to be able to do it and check them off their bucket list.
We Travel to Experience History
Some people travel because they are intrigued by history and want to learn everything they can and see historical sites with their own eyes.
Like going to the Pyramids of Giza, visiting the Mayan Ruins in Mexico, and exploring Drumheller to see a cool spot where dinosaurs once roamed.
Maybe they love Greek Mythology, so they go to Greece to see the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Meteora, the temples and museums.
You can always learn about this online, but actually going and seeing these ancient structures and items with your own eyes is a whole other level of history. It’s just so much better than just seeing photos.
We Travel to Live Life
What’s the point of life if all you do is live in routine and do the same things every day. Wake up, go to work, go home to relax because you’re exhausted from work and repeat the next day.
Living life means doing more of what you love with the people you love. Living life means having fun and enjoying the new experience.
Of course, you don’t have to travel to live life, but many people feel that they are truly living life when they are travelling. And to live life as a traveller, that means we travel, and we become obsessed with travelling.
When we travel, we live in the moment and have more incredible new experiences than we would if we didn’t.
So if you’re wondering why people travel, it’s because it makes us feel alive.
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Why is Travel so Addictive?
Travelling is so addictive for those of us who love it for one big reason.
Now, although we can’t really get addicted to dopamine, it’s highly possible to get addicted to something that raises the dopamine levels in our bodies.
This happens when we do something we love that brings excitement to our lives or makes us happy.
Some people get addicted to playing music because of how it makes them feel, just like some people become obsessed and addicted to working out.
It makes them feel good, raises dopamine levels in their body and makes them want more.
If people have a bad travel experience or just don’t like travelling or get the fun out of it, then they likely won’t get addicted because it doesn’t make them feel good.
But for those of us that get the adrenaline, the good vibes, have fun and absolutely love it, the dopamine levels in our bodies rise. We start to have this craving and urge to travel more.
We long for that next adventure and just can’t wait to start planning the next one.
Why do I constantly want to travel?
When you become addicted to something, you constantly want to do it. It’s like people who smoke; they’re addicted to it, so they want to constantly be smoking.
Okay – I could have come up with a better example than smoking, but you get the point.
We constantly want to travel because it adds happiness to our lives and makes us feel good. And when we feel good, we want more of what makes us feel good.
Of course, not everyone who loves to travel wants to constantly be travelling. Some people love to travel but only want to travel a few times a year. Some people want to be nomads, live on the road, and constantly travel.
For those of us who want to constantly be travelling, it often has to do with the desire to see as much of the world as we can before we die, as well as the desire for freedom.
There is also scientific evidence of why people feel the urge to constantly be travelling. If you think way back before air travel, cars and technology, humans used to be primarily nomadic.
It was an evolutionary and survival tactic. Humans had to constantly be moving around to survive and find food. Packing up everything they have and relocating to a new place.
Here is a super great article that explains this aspect of why people constantly need to travel.
Why People Travel – What Others Have Said
I posted to my Instagram stories and asked my community to answer the question, “why do you travel?” I asked them to provide me with a few sentences to explain why, and here’s what some of them had to say.
“I travel to feel free, discover new places, have fun and experience new things! I also feel like I am truly myself and can let go of everything when I’m not at home. Travel truly brings out the best of me!” – @jennylee.explore
“Because travelling is the cure for thinking you know or have seen it all.” – @cristiancordina
“I travel because it allows me to grow as a human, learn about myself and get to know how beautiful the world is!” – @ewacky
“I travel because I love meeting random people. I get to taste different types of food from each place I’ve visited. And also, it gives me a great sense of happiness to be able to explore new places that I have never been to.” – @minividas
“Even though food, dessert, and exploring are my main motivation when I want to avoid people. Travelling is very good for me when I start to think that I don’t want to live in this world anymore.” – @enes.guldes
“I travel because the entire experience is an experience of personal growth: new cultures, problem-solving, planning, challenging my convictions & worldview, and navigating language/cultural barriers. It’s a place where I thrive.” – @laurenleetravel
“I travel to learn new perspectives, cultures, food, to explore, to be more open to new opportunities. I travel because it’s my therapy. I travel not to find me but to find the beauty in the world and learn how to become better for it.” – @pnw_nature_chaser
“To be able to experience and appreciate a world beyond my own. We all get so caught up in our own day-to-day, and travelling really allows you to find yourself and to learn about new cultures.” – @michelle.outdoors
Wrap-Up: So Why Do People Travel? The Travel Obsession Explained
People travel for many different reasons and a mixture of them. Some are obsessed with travelling for the views and the wildlife, while others love to travel to experience and learn from other cultures.
They travel to check things off their bucket list, to experience history, and to go on an epic and wild adventure!
To chase the sun and waterfalls, try new foods and meet new people!
It’s different for everyone.
People become obsessed with travel because it makes us feel excited and happy; it raises our dopamine and makes us crave more adventures!
That’s why I love to travel, and many others are obsessed with travelling.
Why do you travel? Let me know in the comments; I would love to hear from you!
Thank you for stopping by, and happy adventuring ♡
Krista x.
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