Strangely enough, I've recently realized that I no longer have the travel bug. I first noticed this around the time Hubby and I went to Iceland. I was excited for the trip, but I could have stayed home and felt perfectly happy as well. The same feeling occurred when it came time for our mini-vacation to New York and Montreal. I enjoyed those trips immensely, but my passion for travel seemed to have waned. Interestingly, I still spend considerable time looking at places to visit, checking flight deals, researching winter destinations, pricing out hotels... but mostly out of habit versus actually wanting to go away.
What happened to my intense wanderlust?
Was I using travel as a pacifier when I was unhappy with my job?
Was I trying to run away?
Do I truly like to travel?
These are the types of questions I've been asking myself.
When I look back at my travel vlogs, I can definitively say that I LOVE to travel. It's so rewarding, so much fun, so new. But perhaps I need a break from it. I chatted with Hubby, and surprisingly, he feels the same way. He also loves to travel, but he's a bit tired of it too. Perhaps we need a pattern interrupt. I was toying with the idea of a no-travel-for-a-year challenge, similar to how the eat-at-home monthly challenge broke our habit of going out to restaurants; however, I don't want to put a lot of restrictions on my gap year in case I change my mind. I want to go with the flow and see what happens.
Most of the people in my life expect me to travel during my year off. You probably expect me to travel. Even I expect me to travel. But who says we have to conform to expectations? Let's see what happens.
I've spent the last two weeks getting to know Toronto in a whole new way. I still love exploring, but now it's corners of this city I seek to discover. That hidden alcove in the financial district. The costume exhibit above that newly renovated food court. Those new still and sparkling water stations at Harbourfront. The midday talk at that library. Toronto has wrapped its arms around me and guided me to secret spots I was previously too distracted to see. It's so rewarding, so much fun, so new. Thank you to Toronto for showing me all your beauty and hidden gems.
My intense wanderlust isn't going anywhere.
