I clocked a fair bit of travelling in the first quarter of the year. From Saigon, to Langkawi, then Penang, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur. An average of one trip every 3 weeks. It was all in the name of clearing annual leaves which I accumulated last year.
Sure, it is not easy to manage between a demanding full time job and travelling but with my perseverance, love and curiosity to explore the world, I am hard to stop.
Here are the 10 tell-tale signs I gathered for travelling a tad bit more than usual.
1. When friends can no longer keep track of my whereabouts and usually one of the first few liners they asked will be if I am still in Singapore when we text.
2. Friend begin to wonder if I have unlimited annual leaves and how I manage to balance between my job (and not get fired) while discovering the world.
Clarification: I am only entitled to 14 days of annual leaves each year just like everyone else in the office.
3. Friends either think I am earning big bucks (which I wish but unfortunately I do not) or I squander all my money on travelling.
Clarification: In actual fact, travelling need not cost a bomb with careful planning and of course having a proper financial planning helps.
4. When I fail to inform my parents of my travel plans in advance because they can keep track no more, in addition at every mention of my travelling will invite more of their nagging. Oooops! :p
5. Friends begin to think that I am treating my home as a hotel with my constant travels (which I secretly agree so but nothing beats the good shower at home and the familiarity of my own bed.)
6. When it gets a little tough arranging meet up with friends because I am not around most weekends.
7. When I plan my precious 14 days of annual leaves together with the 11 public holidays carefully , maximising them so often that colleagues see me going to the office with my backpack or luggage then either heading to the airport straight from work or coming back from one.
8. Friends are actually surprise when I have nothing plan during long weekends
Clarification: That is usually because air tickets are ridiculously expensive that it make better sense to just stay home and save that moolah.
9. Constantly, the conversation starter that people use on me are, “When are you travelling again?”
10. When I do not bother unpacking some items out from my bags because I know I will put them in very soon, although I have to admit a huge part of it attributes to me being lazy.
There you have it. I am secretly please with my travel plans so far but after May, I will take a few months break from travelling to focus on other things which I have been wanting to act on for this year as well as to build up on the travel funds once again before hitting the road.
Are you able to relate to any of these signs above?
