Some people get bitten only when they start doing it. Others get that initial itch when they come across people who have already been bitten. And there are those, like me, who have been bitten from a very young age — either because it's some kind of a genetic disturbance or it’s due to other influences.
Regardless of when and how one experiences getting bitten, it's something that isn't easy to shake off. It's the sort of thing that lingers and itches... And it doesn't pass until you soothe it in some way.
And no, I am not talking about creatures-of-the-night bites here, a'la Twilight or True Blood.
I am, of course, talking about the bite of the almighty travel bug.
Although it has taken me over two decades to get my first taste of overseas travel, my itch to see new places and experience new things had been thankfully satisfied somehow through traveling around the Philippines as I was growing up.
From swimming in the beaches of Batangas and riding 9-feet-high waves aboard fishing boats during a trip to Puerto Galera to playing along the ruins at the foot of Mayon Volcano and learning about the country's history in Cebu — my parents have given me the gift of getting to know the land of my birth before I started exploring the rest of the world. And I am extremely grateful for all that and more.
Of course, there's still more places that I wish to see in the Philippines. After all, I have always dreamed of witnessing the charms and beauty of Vigan, Palawan and Bohol, among others. But having lived in California, then Singapore, and now Australia, my time back in the homeland had become somewhat limited. Even more so, since my English husband and I need to share our holiday trips to visit families and friends who reside in different parts of the globe.
But I really can't complain. How can I?
You see, when my husband and I were just in the early stages of our relationship, he learned about our shared affliction of “travelitis.” So one of the things that he told me then was: "I'm going to show you the world!"
Yes, it was not quite as dramatic as Leo's proclamation of being king of the world aboard the Titanic. But, it was still a cheesy statement, I know. And that's why I laughed out loud when he said it. I simply shook my head and brushed it off. It seemed too good a promise. Just the sort of thing boys say when they’re wooing someone, right?
But the husband was good on his word.
If my parents showed me the Philippines as best as they could (and supported my first glimpse of overseas travel), my husband has been my travel companion as I explored a myriad of places around the world — from the temples of Bangkok and the jungles of Brunei, to the romantic streets of Paris and the hidden gems of South Africa. We have been to castles and deserts. We've ridden camels and dune buggies. We've even climbed bridges and stood on top of mountains.
Since becoming parents a few years ago, we have slowed down in our adventures. But we have never really stopped exploring. We both still get to travel together, and on our own.
In fact, I even get to scratch my travel itch with jobs that enable me to discover new places on my own and with other people too. Through work, I have found myself walking along Times Square in New York, climbing up the CN Tower in Toronto, riding a Limo Hummer in Las Vegas, and getting to know different cities in Australia — sometimes with people I’ve just met or with folks I’ve only known online.
So yes, I must admit that this travel bug-bitten girl feels completely and utterly lucky.
And now, I have even been given the privilege to share some of these stories and discoveries with you. It's like being able to experience travel in a whole different way, with a new lot of travel companions.
So what about you? Do you like seeing new places and collecting new experiences?
If you were to write a Top 10 list of places you've visited, which ones would make it to your list? Do you have a "wish list" of places that you wish to go to?
Perhaps, we can exchange lists and compare just how badly bitten we are by this incredible but relentless bug that we call travel.