This is a public health warning

We’ve seen a particularly bad season of the travel bug this year; latest statistics reveal that the contagious disease continues to spread rapidly to the point where we may be facing a worldwide epidemic.

A highly infectious condition that leads to addiction, the travel bug threatens to broaden the mind and enrich the soul. It doesn’t discriminate, and has been known to take hold of people from all walks of life, both young, and old.

The highly addictive nature of this condition has led scientists to believe that there is no cure. So we have compiled a list of the warning signs that you, or someone you love, may be affected.

If you can identify with all 21, you may be too far gone.

21 Signs You’re Totally Addicted to Travel

Every single story starts with ‘When I was in …’

Packing takes you less than 10 minutes

Packing 2 weeks in advance? Pffft. You’ve done this so many times you know exactly what to pack, and can do so in under 10 minutes.

In fact, the bag from your last trip is probably still half packed.

I mean, unpacking seems silly when you’ll probably be jetting off again sooner than later. Living out of your suitcase at home seems much more efficient!

You know your Passport number off by heart

Filling in an immigration card half an hour before you land? While the amateurs are fumbling around in the overhead lockers looking for their passport, yours is committed to memory.

And while we’re on the topic of passports, the immigration officer has a hard time finding an empty page to stamp!

You’re a human luggage scales

You can tell instantly whether or not your bag is too heavy to fly as soon as you pick it up.

In fact, you don’t even need to pick it up. You can tell by just looking at it.

You’re a ninja at currency conversions in your head

Even if you sucked at math.

‘Home’ is where your toothbrush is

‘Home’ isn’t so much a permanent place, it’s where-ever your toothbrush is.

You’ve learnt to feel at home in new countries after a day of checking in; when you’re out exploring, you refer to your hotel room as ‘I’ll do that when I get home’; you start stories with ‘when I lived in ….’ even though you spent less than a month ‘living’ in!

The thought of staying in one country, city, or town for more than a year is the most terrifying concept.

You custom order travel quotes on Tshirts

Sites like GoCustomized.com are permanently bookmarked, and your wardrobe is full of custom t-shirts you’ve designed with your favorite travel quotes.

You’re tired of generic T-shirts and want to shout to the world that you’re travel addicted, so you make your own. You can also add your favorite quotes to custom phone cases!

You can swear in any language

It’s just what you do. You can also greet people, say thankyou, and, most importantly, know the word for cheers in more than 10 languages.

Na zdravi.

You’ve had love affairs with more countries than you have with people

You fantasize about countries more than you do about people; 50 shades of grey means talking about the weather in London to you.

You’re head over heels and madly in love, and never stop thinking or day dreaming about a particular country.

You shake with excitement when it comes time to book another ticket.

Films make you want to travel

In fact, so do books. And music.

Even if a film is not about travel, it still makes you want to.

When friends talk in acronyms you think they’re talking in airport codes

WTF? FFS? LOL.

When friends talk in acronyms, you think they’re talking in airport codes.

Also, you rock at this subject at pub trivia!

Your top drawer contains every conceivable currency

From the Australian dollar, to the British Pound, and Indonesian Rupiah, you have a vast collection of leftover foreign currency.

And even though it might add up to be quite a lot of money, you don’t exchange or get rid of it. After-all, you’ll be heading back soon.

Most of your friends live in foreign countries

As a travel addict you have friends from all over the world, perhaps even more so than in your home country.

You have places to stay in more than 20 countries, and your Facebook wall is filled with bilingual messages, especially when your birthday rolls around.

You frequently miss special occasions

You’re forever absent at birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, though you’re friends and family have come to expect that you’ll be overseas.

Plus, they appreciate the foreign gifts.

Not so much the 2 am phone calls. But you travel so often you forget which time-zone you’re in.

You swipe right on Skyscanner instead of Tinder

You’re always on your phone, though instead of lusting over Tinder, you’re lusting over Skyscanner.

You set up price alerts for places you have no real plans to visit, you know, just in case…

You’re always using Skyscanner’s ‘Everywhere’ search and daydreaming about where you might go next.

When you spend money, you calculate how far you could travel instead

Car registration due? You could travel to London for that.

Your hobbies include passing time in airports, day dreaming of your next trip, and ticking new cultures off your list

You’re always planning your next trip

Home is more of a pit stop than a permanent destination. And if you’re not planning a trip you get antsy.

In fact, you’re planning your next trip before you’ve even finished your current one.

You’ve collected more airline miles than you have on your vehicle

Not hard when you spent the money for your car registration on a trip to London …

You can sleep anywhere

Trains, buses, cars, wedged between the seats of an airport. You, dear traveler, have learnt the art of sleeping anywhere.

And jet lag doesn’t affect you anymore.

You can name countries none of your friends have ever heard of

Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi. When you start naming countries you’ve visited your friends think you’ve started making places up.

Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau. You excel at geography.

Bonus: Your bucketlist is 99% of the world

The 1% is your home country.

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A list of the warning signs that you’re totally addicted to travel. How many can you identify with?

A list of the warning signs that you’re totally addicted to travel. How many can you identify with?

Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; an online magazine dedicated to opening your eyes to the wonders of the wild & natural world.

Having visited 50+ countries across all seven continents, Megan’s travels focus on cultural immersion, authentic discovery and incredible journeys. She has a strong passion for ecotourism, and aims to promote responsible travel experiences.