“The Travel Bug”

 

            Amazement fills me whenever I listen to the latest recounting of the adventures of my Travel Bug friends. Even during the worst part of the pandemic, pre-vaccination, they insisted their psychological need to experience new and different places outweighed any risk they’d get from contracting COVID-19. Flying to Guatemala or Iceland, Croatia or Morocco these friends determined their experiences with an illness (many became extremely ill several times) outweighed the depression they’d deal with by staying home.

            As the ultimate introvert, watching these friends and family members engage is high risk behaviors found me hitting the “unfollow” button on Facebook. That way, I didn’t read about the two weeks one spent in the hospital or the months and months of illness due to long COVID a half-dozen friends now deal with daily.

            When I think back to the few vacations we’ve taken over the last forty-four the years, the memories glow soft and warm. Each experience nestles snugly within me. Do I find myself compelled to plan another adventure anytime soon? No. I delved into the costs of a hypothetical trip the other day and realized that my budget can’t absorb that kind of hit. Our appliances are old, and our air conditioner approaches the “ancient” status. Getting infected with the Travel Bug right now would mean I’d have to return to work—something I continue to avoid for a second year.