Forced to travel

Travelling is one of the greatest experiences in the world: the colours, smells, touch and sound of foreign lands is thrilling and invigorating, socialising with the locals is curious and exciting and the memories are unforgettable.

But for some people these things are scary, unnecessary and upsetting.

Last week I had to go through something that I suppose was inevitable in Ireland's current climate: I had to say goodbye to my best friend as she set off to find work abroad.

Many of my friends, old school/ college friends, neighbours and acquaintances have had to emigrate to find work, but up until this week my close circle of friends had stayed intact.

As she excitedly spoke about her travel plans, where she would live, who she knows living close by and the popular attractions in their new world, the rest of us that must stay behind could only smile through our tears.

She was made redundant from her job late last year, one of the hardest workers I know she threw herself into applying for jobs, going on interviews and doing everything she could to find a job, but it was not to be. After spending time in Australia a few years ago and knowing a lot of people over there it became the best option and really only option for her.

As the months wore on, she became more excited about leaving and more bitter about her own country,in the end she was only too happy to wave goodbye to this Emerald Isle.

Although it will never be the same again, we will not see her (aside from on skype, facebook photos ...) , know her feelings, opinions and hear her laughter regularly, we know she really wanted to go.

How difficult must it be to wave goodbye to someone who really doesn't want to go?

How heartbreaking to lose the grasp of a friend, a sibling, a cousin ... who would do anything to stay here but can't?

A lot of people can answer those questions because according to the news it is happening every week.

During the boom years many of us left to travel the world and experience different cultures, now that prospect is being forced upon us, like it or not.

We can only hope that these bright young sparks will live, learn and love their new homes and in a few years bring their enthusiasm and talent back to this recovering island.

Until that time we must calculate the time difference of 10 or 12 hours to try and talk and see the people we love in foreign lands all over the world.

Travel can be exciting, but it can also be very sad.

The incurable travel bug

I hear it is raging and it isn't just contained in one country or even one continent - all over the world people are coming down with very serious symptoms of the travel bug.
I think you pick it up in foreign countries, because before I left this Emerald Isle I was fine, but then bang 2008 - a Round the World Ticket - and I've never recovered since. I can't even pinpoint what country I caught this damn disease in.
And don't be fooled this is a disease - an addiction that cannot be cured by medicine, it is all you ever think about - all you ever want to do.
You crave adventure, journeys and excitement - you spend all year researching a trip only to start all over again on the flight home trying to come up with a new plan for a different location.
The only cure for this awful bug is an expensive one, a cure that isolates you from friends and family (even partners) and leaves you thousands of miles away from home. The only cure is to travel, the alternative is to stay at home depressed, bored and unimpressed with the tedious chores life throws.
The only preventative to this bug is not to travel in the first place - do not encourage young people to "broaden their horizons" or to "go find themselves" because they always return home leaving themselves scattered across the globe and spend the rest of their lives searching for the missing pieces.
Sadly, I must admit to having this awful condition, it is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life - the chore of wanting to be somewhere else, see something new and experience different cultures.
I have made a list of some of the most common symptoms of the travel bug if you answer yes to 10 or more of these then  you too must accept that you have been struck down by the dreaded travelling bug.

Symptoms of the travel bug:

- You have a list of places you want to go, things you want to see
- You research your trips for more than 4weeks
- You own more than three travel guides
- You subscribe to airline/hotel/tour newsletters
-You visit travel websites once a week
- Books, movies, songs, blogs inspire your next destination
- You have visited more than 7 countries on holidays
- You dream of travelling day and night
- You watch/ read the world news with more interest than home news
- You take interest in world disasters and mentally note them as places to visit
- You love photos and travel photography
- You always want to go somewhere different - out of the ordinary
- You see young people with no jobs saying they have to emigrate and you think "lucky b#$tards!
- You know you would spend your lotto winnings on travel
- You look through old holiday photos regularly
- You feel twitchy, bored, uneasy
- You feel jealous when friends and family talk about their holidays
- You write a travel blog ...!