I recently had a chat with a friend who was feeling a bit lost and was searching for something to fill a void in her life. I suggested she should travel, as it might help her find what she’s looking for, or at least she’d have a good time. This conversation made me reflect on my own life and how much I’ve come to rely on travel. It’s become more than just a hobby for me, it’s my lifestyle, my identity. I’m always on the move, always exploring new places.
But what if I had to stop traveling? The thought is almost unimaginable. I’ve been on the move for so long that the idea of settling down is foreign to me. I have a long list of places I want to visit before I even consider slowing down. I don’t want to stop, but I know that eventually, I’ll have to. Age and gravity will catch up with me.
The thought of giving up my nomadic lifestyle scares me. I’ve become so accustomed to the constant change and unpredictability that the idea of a routine life seems dull. But it makes me wonder, can you travel too much? Is it really better to live a life constantly on the move?
Most people who travel long-term do it as a break from their career or during a gap year. They have a start and end point. Then there are digital nomads who work as they travel, moving slowly from one place to another. And then there are people like me, who travel without an end in sight.
As much as it takes courage to leave a stable life and hit the road, it takes just as much courage to leave the road and return to a routine life. Travel becomes all you know. After about 4-5 months in one place, I start to feel restless and need to move again. I’m always planning my next destination, always ready for the next adventure.
But eventually, everyone needs a place to call home. Constantly moving from one place to another can be lonely. You’re always saying goodbye to friends, never staying in one place long enough to form lasting relationships, never really getting to know a place. Everyone needs roots at some point.
So, can you travel for too long? For me, the answer is yes. When travel becomes your life, when there’s nothing else, I think it’s a sign you’ve been on the road too long. It’s a great way to live for a while, but not forever. You can’t be a wanderer forever.
Sometimes I think I’ve been traveling for too long. But am I ready to give up this lifestyle yet? No, not at all. I’m still young. There are still so many places I want to visit. I still have a long road ahead of me.
One day, I’ll wake up and decide it’s time to go home. But today is not that day.
