15 Signs You’re Being Hit With Massive Post-Grad Wanderlust

1. You constantly find yourself staring at maps.

Sometimes you’re not even aware that you’re doing it. You just snap back into reality and realize that you just spent the last five minutes studying a map of South America and planning the route you’ll take when you visit there someday.

2. Anytime a movie features another country, you immediately need to go there.

Every. Single. Time. Walter Mitty goes to Iceland? You’ve never wanted to go to Iceland so much in your entire life. With every movie, you add a new location to your ever-expanding bucket list.

3. Travel blogs are the bane of your existence and the highlight of your day.

You’re starting to understand how Smeagol/Gollum felt in Lord of the Rings. Your thought process anytime you’re on one of those blogs goes something like: It’s so pretty! I have to go there! NO, YOU CAN’T, YOU’RE BROKE. But I’ll save up and maybe during my vacation days… STUDENT LOANS DON’T PAY FOR THEMSELVES. Please, just one trip… MAYBE WHEN YOU RETIRE.

4. You’re constantly searching airfares.

Every morning you always find yourself browsing airfares, just in case you see one that’s in your price range and falls during a time of year when you can take a vacation. Most of the time though, you see the prices and think, “Whelp, that one flight is an entire month’s rent.”

5. If you finally do get the chance to travel, you’re not entirely sure where you’ll go because you’ve got so many places you want to visit.

You finally understood how Sophie felt in Sophie’s Choice. How do you choose between India and Brazil?? They’re both so different, you couldn’t possibly choose between them!

6. You end up fantasizing about a massive trip that covers ten countries, and two continents.

I’ll fly into Ireland, spend some time there, then obviously head over to Scotland. And I’ll be so close to France, I might as well jog on over to Paris, then Germany, and hey, Copenhagen is right there, so might as well…

7. You will suddenly get the urge to just get up and run away.

It’s a constant game of “What If?” What If I just ran out of here and hopped on a flight to Egypt? What If instead of going to Subway for lunch, I take the subway to the train station, and head to New York? What If…

8. You’re always trying to learn at least five different languages.

You’re not very good at any of them, but you can say “Hello, where is the library” in ten different languages so far, so you’re basically all set for international travel.

9. You check the weather for places around the world more often than where you’re living.

It’s just another form of daydreaming. You’ll see that it’s a beautiful day in Tokyo, and just imagine all the great things you could be doing instead of this data processing. Sometimes the weather forecasts work in your favor, and you’ll see it’s pouring buckets in Sweden, so it’s a good thing you’re not there right now, because you’d be stuck inside all day. (Or at least that’s what you tell yourself).

10. You’re always looking for other ways to travel cheaply.

I could be an au pair. Right? I mean, I’m not great with kids, and I can only cook toast, buuuuuuut that’s a feasible option, right?

11. Looking through other friends’ travel photos is your form of torture.

I WANT TO BE THERE RIGHT NOW.

12. You’ve started a money jar to save up for a trip.

That’s how you save up for anything, right? Or at least, that’s how it was done in Up, so you figure it could work for you.

13. On days off you drive to a new town and pretend you’re somewhere way more exotic.

There’s a new Salvadorian restaurant in the next town over, so you spend a lunch sitting in there, pretending you’re on a spur of the moment vacation in El Salvador.

14. Google street view is your best friend.

During your more extreme bouts of daydreaming, you end up “walking” though the streets of Paris from you office.

15. You keep your passport nearby at all times, just in case.

It’s a little nugget of hope that keeps you at your job. Yes, you’re still ages away from having any vacation time, but one day…