It’s the beginning of 2022 and I’m looking back over the last couple of years and part of me still can’t believe what’s gone on. Prior to the pandemic, I would regularly travel from Australia to different countries all over the globe. Even taking extra days off work to enjoy long weekends in Bali, Hong Kong, or Dubai. I loved flying long-haul and landing somewhere new and exciting. And, now I can’t stop thinking about how much I miss travelling, plus the freedom & excitement travel always guaranteed.
Thankfully 2022 is looking much more promising, even all the strict Australian border restrictions are beginning to ease.
Moving forward I think we will all appreciate our travel moments that little bit more because we now know the pain of having that freedom taken away.
I recently asked my Instagram followers
“What do you miss most about travelling?”
And these are their responses;
Not feeling rushed. ❤️❤️ the daily grind can sometimes always have you thinking of what you need to do next. ~ @thewayfinderdiver
What I miss about travel is the build-up of excitement to a new trip and then the continuous sense of freedom and wonder while I’m there! ~ @richardwhitetravels
Well thankfully I have gotten to still travel and discover new places of the country I currently live which is travelling too, but I do miss the feeling of arriving at a place I don’t know the language and trying to decipher and learn, the smells the food and getting lost in the streets or places of this unfamiliar yet feels like home in a way place. ~ @trailofthewanderlust
When I’m not travelling I miss exploring new places every day. ~ @travelerjuc
The freedom and carelessness 😢 ~ @bonnyandgava
I miss when things weren’t changing day-to-day. It used to be easier to plan a trip on a whim, now you have to research all of the covid protocols and if the place is allowing visitors, etc. ~ @guidedbydestiny
Living abroad, the thing I miss the most is seeing friends. Or literary anyone I know. 😄 But also, I miss not knowing where you’ll end up. I miss the challenge of living outside a 9-5. And of being outside, trying new things, pushing yourself in ways that’s more exciting than ‘ooo how many hours can I work this week, to fund a future adventure?’ Yeah, I miss the actual adventure of travelling ~ @cassiethehag
I miss everything! The food, the people, experiencing new cultures, exploring new places, and learning new things! ~ @trulyexpat
Just like you I miss the freedom, to feel so free of any obligations whilst in a new place full of adventures ✨ ~ @jana.melanie
I miss everything about travelling! I especially miss the research, all the planning and I miss the countdown and the excitement of a new trip. Also, I love landing in a new country and wondering what is ahead. ~ @pattytraveladventures
Meeting new people, experiencing different cultures and food, feeling free! ~ @backpackingpenguin
I miss the freedom that being somewhere new holds. Being able to explore what’s around you without already knowing what you’ll find! ~ @aussienextdoor
I miss experiencing new cultures and ways of life ~ @fuelforthesole
What I’ll miss the most is the excitement of exploring a place you’ve never been to before, trying new flavors, learning about cultures, interacting with locals. It’s that feeling of novelty you can’t get anywhere else ♥️ ~ @itslien
It’s the different culture shocks for us! So amazing to experience ~ @explorerboundcouple
I would definitely say what I miss most about travelling is the ability to sit and talk to the locals. Experience a day in their shoes. Talk with them, learn their language, eat local foods. And, just be present in the moment. Not rushing around in the city and taking the days for granted. I miss the rush of happiness that would come over me when I felt a new appreciation for a beautiful place. ~ @maphermiles
Experiencing a new culture ~ @motheranddaughterabroad
I’m still traveling but I just miss travelling without so much paperwork and worries 😅 ~ @luxtravelcouple
That feeling of complete and utter excitement when you get to go somewhere new and seeing a place for the first time! ~ @lifewithkirs
I miss being able to just randomly talk with strangers & visit crowded places without getting worked up ~ @debashrisamanta
I miss alllll of it 😭😭 ~ @aimeebelll
The thing I miss about travelling is the amazement I get every time I arrive at a new place. The feeling that I want to explore the place, learning more about it! I love to get to know new people and hear many stories. Making memories for life! ~ @travel_blondie
I miss waking up to the unknown and the spontaneity each day brought. From new people to new places and new animals! ❤️ ~ @travellustandus
I miss getting to see a new place and meet new people ❤️ ~ @scottishgirltraveller1
I was lucky to be able to travel again since June of 2021. But I’ve been without travelling more than 1 year since Covid started. Travel for me is probably the way of living. So I was missing my way of living life. It was very hard to stay in 1 place always. ~ @wanderlusting.with.maria
I miss discovering new destinations and trying new food ❤️ ~ @clarathewanderess
Going on an adventure every day 😢 ~ @ileamariee
I miss meeting new people and eating all the good food 😍 ~ @romanedrake
We miss exploring unknown places! There is always excitement about exploring new places, especially other countries to experience their cultures. The incredible history and landscapes are also our favorite parts☺️ ~ @24andunder
I miss the first breath I take outside the airport! New places smell different from home. ~ @daringdianchka
What I miss most about travel is discovering things I never knew possible! I was in the Maldives and was, shocked to see sharks, swimming freely at the beaches. Locals don’t run away at the sight of sharks and there have never been any attacks in recent history! ~ @ohgodthisguy
I miss discovering new places and meeting new people, these are what I miss in travel. ~ @twotraveladdicts
I miss how easy it was without all the testing. ~ @chrissy.koulouris
The freedom to do whatever we wanted, interact with people seeing their faces, and not be scared of hugging them ❤️ ~ @explorermatter
I miss how time moves differently when you travel since your focus is so much more on what you’re experiencing in the present than what you have to do next. ~ @exploring.elsewhere
I miss so many things about travelling, like culture, food, people, creatures and the most important beauty of nature😍 ~ @lust_tofly
When we couldn’t travel we missed feeling like ourselves. We just worked, worked, worked, and lost our sense of adventure. We are on the road now and feel much more ourselves! ~ @awilderpath
I miss absolutely everything!!!❤️ Freedom /experiences/food/taste/smells/different ways of life. But most of all moments, you can never replace moments and memories 💗 ~ @nickennedy29
Seeing new experiences!!! ~ @tropicallytiffanie
I miss literally everything about it 😢 but probably miss meeting so many new people and being blown away by new cultures + experiences ~ @cameronkirrk
I miss the spontaneity. The randomness of just exploring and seeing where the day takes me. ~ @tracycopperblue
Oh my gosh, so much! The biggest thing is feeling free to go wherever you want, whenever you want, and seeing the vitality of the new place. I have still been traveling but the world has been dimmed a bit by the fear of everything. I can’t wait until people are very lively again. ~ @pamedesigns
After reading these comments I found one of the biggest things we all have in common when it comes to why we miss travelling, is human connection. It’s important we all stay connected and I love that this aspect of travel is very important to so many people.
Throughout the pandemic, many of us have been lucky enough to explore more of our home country, which has been amazing. Although, many can relate to how much we have craved more cultural experiences & meeting new people from different walks of life.
I can’t wait to spend 2022 getting to meet more people from all over the world.
What have you missed most about travelling?
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Elyse is the author & content creator behind A World To Live. After traveling to over 40 countries, she has a passion for discovering new places. Elyse is a money-conscious traveller who loves writing independent travel guides to help her readers get the most out of their travels.
Lovely post! I too have been stuck in Australia this entire pandemic and am so ready to get back out into the world! There’s so much I have missed about travelling, but the feelings of discovery, awe and excitement are what I really can’t wait to get back <3
Ohh I can totally relate. I miss the culture, street food & even hearing people talk other languages lol
aww what a great compilation! I hope you’re able to travel again soon!
I miss traveling so much! We just booked our first trip and I can’t wait!
I relate to many of these! I mostly miss the joy of just planning a trip. That’s part of the fun of traveling for me, and it’s sad when there’s nowhere on the radar when everything is shut down!
Yeah that’s so true Megan, or even if you do plan something, everything has been getting canceled 😞
What a great collection! This post is a beautiful reminder of why travel is so amazing.
Thank you so much Jenn
I can totally relate! We’ve been fortunate to have resumed some travels in the States, but its more like going on beach vacations than jumping head first into a foreign country type of travel!
Yeah I know what you mean, hopefully, this year everything will get easier
This is a great list of relatable reasons why people miss traveling, I agree with the quotes about missing the adventure! Hoping it all gets back to normal soon!
I am planning to travel at the end of this year and really excited about this adventure.