7 Disorders of a Travel Addict

Our non-traveling friends tried to make us go to rehab but we said ‘no, no, no’. Wandering is addictive. The cure is yet another travel. While most of our friends outside the traveling circle may not understand our itch and calling as professional nomads, we still continue our passion. Their claims are valid though – we are addict. We are maniacs. And we suffer some disorders because of our habits. Will you recognize the symptoms of the following sickness or madness? Here’s a confession of a travel addict.

1. Sepanx

We were supposed to splurge on our last meal in El Nido but the group couldn’t have a jolly conversation. We sulked and drowned in emotions instead. Our adventures is about to end. Then we took glance of the bay once more as the sun set. We’re definitely going back.

It is easier and more organized when I pack our carry ons before the trip than to repack on my way home. Could it be because I am also packing new moments and emotional baggage with me? From the airport of origin, it was all excitement. But going back is all that reality biting in.

Then, to water down the separation anxiety, we discuss with our group recalling what transpired. We post those inside joke updates to the public even though few could relate. Because yeah, no one will understand how you feel exactly aside from these people you’ve been with recently.

Worst form of separation anxiety is experienced by a solo backpacker when he met a stranger turned friend, had developed bond, and worst, feelings, and eventually the two had to travel and to grow separately. Some say it’s the beauty of traveling. But it could be a curse.

I usually come in an open travel group and I take chances to know the other participants of the trip. As they say, strangers are friends that we never met. And each of the groups that I was with, there are different intensities and kinds of attachments and clingy-ness formed. I’ll let your imagination play.

From time to time, we still convene and plan our next gatherings. (I have at least ten groups now.) Because separation anxiety needs to be cured.

2. Peter Pan Syndrome

While Marq and I were figuring out our tandem name for an audition that gives more impact than to be tagged as travelers, he mentioned the Peter Pan Syndrome in our spiel. That’s the term that I’ve been searching for some time.

He’s in mid 20’s and I’m at the very-late-na-traffic 20’s. Comparing with our counterparts, who are equally happy and enjoying their married and family life, here we are – invading almost every festival night parties in the country. Thanks to our genes we are indistinguishable with fellow but younger party peeps.

Peter Pan is an older man with a teenager life who constantly search for freedom and carefreeness. It is not to be confused with immaturity or second childhood. These are the millenials who delay certain rites of passage into adulthood.

Those with Peter Pan syndrome shows sign of the other disorders in this list.

Who would have thought that I am the outlier in the age statistics among my photowalk friends? I blend. Thanks to Peter Pan genes.

3. YOLO no LOLO

You only live once or you’re a lolo. Carpe diem has been the favorite motto of the notorious travelers. Take that cheap flight or forever hold your peace. Plot those leaves like bingo or suffer the what-if’s of no-go’s. Sign up on extreme activities or waive your privilege to live the life to the fullest.

While YOLO has derogative connotation because the silly risks one could take, but it’s only when you seize the moments you can say with contentment that one life is enough.

YOLO is almost similar to FONSY or the fear of not saying yes. My version of YOLO is PIOLO. Pucha, I Only Live Once.

4. FOMO

Before I went to Sinulog, I can’t fathom yet why would some of my friends have it as their yearly habit. Now that I experienced the grandest festival of them all, the fear of missing out the fun in Cebu won’t make me think twice to go back.

When Sitio La Presa became a phenomenon out of a television show Forevermore and Sagada a hit because of the romantic-comedy That Thing Called Tadhana, almost everyone jumped into the craze fearing to be left out with curiosity. That agony to be last one to know. Never, right?

My first couchsurfing experience happened in Masskara Festival 2013. Since then, our group has the tradition to go to the major festivals of the country. And it is a pain to miss the group outing. Especially when the left out becomes the topic of the group. I heard I was the trending topic in Dinagyang Festival 2015, you sneaky people.

5. Fear of Missing Documentation

All these rave and beats make the Sinulog Festival one weekend to remember #GoPro #GoProBiyaHERO #GoProBeAHero #Sinulog2015 #PitSenyor

A video posted by Jonas Roque (@__jonas.ph__) on Jan 24, 2015 at 3:40am PST

Ever since the advent of Instagram and GoPro, documenting the adventures has leveled up. There is sudden rise of the following needs – to capture self-portraits or group photos as proof of going, to learn apps in post processing and mixing filter, to come up with a theme song for the trip, and to curate our travel outputs with hashtags. Imagine the trades of tools which travelers with this disorder bring. Those include smartphone and action camera and digital camera and drone.

In the Philippine setup, this is apparent being the selfie capital of the world.

The fear of missing out could be associated as the effect of too much exposure of the documentation of others. Bacause some see a wide stream of images or tweets of their friends about #Sinulog2015, the scare of others having more rewarding experiences arise.

6. Severe Lying Disorder

Have you filed sick leave but you didn’t realize your skin was noticeably burned the next day, a side effect of a vitamin sea medication you take? Does SL mean Scheduled Leave or a Sinungaling Leave for you?

If you exhausted all legitimate vacation leaves before the year ends, you resorted to this severe lying. Not that I glorify this kind of action. I must admit I once did it.

At one point we thought of our possible excuses before returning to our respective offices when in case we decide to extend our Laboracay trip.

7. TITE Mentality

As comedian-traveler Joey De Leon puts it – Trabaho. Ipon. Travel. Enjoy.

While cheap and free travels are possible, adventures require wanderers to shell out money. And the stable source is our day job.

There are several motivations for our career – company positions, cute officemates, salary increase and stronger portfolio. But personally what motivates me to continue the drive for my work is it pays for my future travels, and yes with cute officemates.