Travel Bug!

I posted about this on the boards too, but every once and awhile, I write an article…and promtply forget about it, only to stumble upon it weeks or even months later. I wrote this one quite a bit ago but it’s kinda fun. I’m sure that it will go up on the site whenever we have a good place for it again.

Portland, Oregon Recent reports show that the travel bug is spreading rapidly, disseminating from the BootsnAll community to the rest of the world. Most BootsnAllers are afflicted with this grievous virus, and openly admit their disease on member applications. The virus is expected to continue to plague those with a sense of adventure, a fascination with other cultures and open minds.

The cause of the virus is unknown, although suffers, known as “Buggies”, have a few theories. SurfingDan, long afflicted with the bug, believes it is caused by the “general disgust with the current state of life or situation at one’s home.” Other travelers have spoken of “severe wanderlust” and the desire to “expand horizons.”

The disease spreads when Buggies tell their travel tales to uninfected friends and family, or those without the disease read and research travel through books and websites such as BootsnAll.

Symptoms of the disease include ” the undeniable urge to leave your surroundings and travel across the globe in search of knowledge and life experiences,” according to SurfingDan. Adds Sisuphile, “The travel bug causes pussing, oozing, and generally unpleasant sores if not treated with proper medication - travelling. These sores are also known as herpes of discontent.”

It is rumored that other side affects include spiders appearing out of the herpes of discontent, but there is no medical basis for this belief. Other people claim that the virus makes its victims less-employable but Buggies tend to disregard these claims.

Although a majority of non-suffers cannot comprehend the struggles Buggies must face, many are compassionate and will indulge a Buggie by listening to his or her upcoming travel plans, or looking at pictures of a past trip. Unfortunately, some people avoid Buggies and call them “unresponsible” and accuse them of being “drug-adled party freaks”. Other non-victims prefer to deny the existance of the travel bug, and claim that the only medicine - travelling - is unsafe or altogether unjoyable and should not be considered as an option.

While there is no permanent cure for the travel bug, there are some ways Buggies can cope with the symptoms. Travelling erases all symptoms of the disease, albiet temporarily, as they can appear to increase after returing from a trip. Some Buggies claim that their symptoms dull during a period of intense work or raising a family, but most note that after a passing of time, the symptoms do reappear.

It is widely acknowledged that one of the best ways to handle the travel bug is to become involved in a community such as BootsnAll, which openly accepts Buggies and advocates coping with the symptoms through travel and travel-related guides, stories and discussion. BootsnAllers are very good at giving advice, answering questions and offering encouragement. The do not view the travel bug as a disease but rather, a way of life.

Those who do not cope with the symptoms are prone to “stress, depression and anxiety,” warns Katasia. Sweetchilli adds, “The more you try to treat it with short term cures of the everyday life, the deeper it embeds itself in your soul.”

Those who believe they might be afflicted with the bug should visit BootsnAll immediately.