Why do you keep going back?

Allan, when I stepped off the airplane as a student in Warsaw in 1976, I felt like I had come home.

When Stan and I landed in Naples in 2005, my heart was so full I didn't understand the sensation. On that trip we spent a week in Italy, (courtesy of my sister and her business partner. Thanks, Linda and Susan!) and capped it off with a couple of days in London. Although we had worked and studied in Europe quite a bit, we had never traveled there just for fun. The week in Italy was a revelation. So much beauty, so many new experiences, and yet, we felt like we were where we belonged. Although we only had a couple of nights in London, we had the same joyous reaction.

Four years later, we decided to start traveling to Europe just for our own pleasure, and we've never regretted it. We've gone every year - well, until this year - and we've loved every minute of it.

I will confess I consider myself a global traveler, rather than a European traveler, but as a fellow Canadian, I would say it is the extended history and the famous art/architecture that we don't have in volume in our own country. It could also be a little of the 'taking what you have for granted' despite Canada having a real diversity of natural sites as well as culture (if you consider the pockets of our major cities).
Thankfully we are not all programmed alike and many do not share an interest in travelling, but are happy taking vacations (which is what I describe repeat visits to the same old, same old).
You may want to consider how adventurous those friends are as well. Do they embrace different foods, or try new things? I think people, particularly we who like to explore new places, have more of an adventurous spirit as well.

Like you I am more widely traveled than the vast majority of my friends and family. I've been to all the States, north and south of the boarders of the USA, and 30+ other countries around the world. I lived in Germany for over three years, care of Uncle Sam, and have made more than a dozen trips back. I like to get out an see the world. It expands my views and understanding.

But specifically, I return to Europe because I enjoy it. The major question I have to ask myself is whether to return to places I know I like, or to try someplace different. As I grow older this takes on a new resonance, as I've come to the enlightenment that some places I am seeing for the last time. I'm not one who enjoys returning to the same place all the time, but there are things I've yet to see in locals I've already spent time in, and those weigh on me.

Our sense of adventure. That is all I can think of, some have it and some don't. I like challenging myself to figure stuff out and I love to plan travel, it's a wonderful hobby. I follow one youtuber, she is not travel related, but she went to Paris and said she wants to get to where she is going for the day, see it, then get back to her Hotel ASAP, she could not understand why her travel companions wanted to wonder around, get lunch, shop, sit and get coffee, it made no sense to her. She has no sense of adventure. I know another person that returns to the same resort over and over, other couples that just do Hawaii every year. We have had funny adventures, romantic, anxiety filled, and very scary ones (taking the wrong metro in Paris and knowing we did not belong in that neighborhood at 12am), all unexpected, all not knowing what we did not know.

Jane came from somewhere in the Midwest. Each Spring, France fills with women like her. They appear overnight, just as drifting dandelion seeds cover Europe in thistledown. Like those seeds, they follow wind and whim from London to Rome to Berlin to Paris. Looking for something that Des Moines, Iowa, or Rapid City, South Dakota, doesn't provide-girls of Summer, who, as Stephen Sondheim explains in his song of that name, may, in contracting "a touch of the sun", also incur "a touch of the moon".

I am a Jane.

There are many reasons I travel. One major one as MariaF indicates:

I would say it is the extended history and the famous art/architecture that we don't have in volume in our own country.

While MariaF is Canadian, I think it holds true for me in the USA as well. I go to Europe because it is easy, I have a special affinity for the art or landscape or people (heritage?). While I have been to non-European countries, I'm not Asia oriented. I don't know why, I'm just not. There are many countries where I'd like to go that are war torn or we've antagonized, so that reduces the mix a lot! For example, Iraq has been my interest since I was a small child...Mesopotamia, but I don't see that happening at this point.

On top of that, travel for me has been (less so as I get older and the appearance of the internet) about getting away from all my safety nets and having a wonderful time. This was the period when I'd travel with only the first night's reservation. I think solo travel still provides this sense of freedom as well, but not to quite the intense degree. I know very few who travel as much as I do, and they always travel with their SO/spouse and, mostly, on tours with luggage pickup, etc. So, I agree, no one who travels like me, which is why I enjoy this forum so much.

I grew up with summer houses, and when first married we had a ski house. I have some nostalgia about the summer houses, but my parents did not travel otherwise and I find that is the case with the people I know who also have 'extra' houses. They are tied in or in a rut. But they also might be more extrovert than I am and want company all the time... For years I've thought it is better to know a lot of people with 'extra' houses or boats than to have to own one myself. This leaves one free to travel!

In July of 2017, we spent a wonderful week in southern Sweden as guests in the delightful home of my wife's second cousins. Our departure destination at week's end was Oslo. Traveling by train, our good-bye conversation at the depot brought a surprise - none of these Swedes had ever been to Norway - a three hour train ride with a connection in Gotenborg - which was another location unvisited by our hosts. We invited them to visit us in the U.S. - like that's gunna happen.

I make an annual (sometimes more) trip to Hawaii because it's a place where I can just relax, read, enjoy the water, eat at favorite places, and enjoy a drink under a banyan tree watching the waves. I go there when I need a totally relaxing, do-not-much vacation, especially after a time of stressful and tiring work or family issues. Having said that, I also go on an overseas trip at least 2, sometimes 3 times a year for a different type of vacation. This type of vacation stretches my mind, gets me into museums and learning about the history of the places I visit, and I also take time to people watch and enjoy the ambiance of the places I am visiting (as well as the food, wine, chocolate and more). I tend to come home tired from my overseas trips because it is more difficult to navigate the language differences, travel details, finding my way around new cities and towns, and getting from one place to the next. But while I am more tired after these trips, I do have to say my brain is much more energized and I continually replay what I've seen, learned and experienced during my travels. So while they are very different types of trips, I come back completely recharged, rested and refreshed from one and tired but mentally recharged and energized in a different way from the other. I think there are big pluses to both kinds of trips, and not everyone is comfortable with the unfamiliar and with the uncertainty and uniqueness of international travel - doesn't make them wrong, just it's what makes them happy.

I believe that a lot of travel choices are based on what stage of life you are in and on your life experience and financial situation. Both my Dad & I were in the Navy...so I got to live in and visit different parts of the world. When I was a college student I spent almost 2 months in Europe. I was an Art Major so it was Heaven for me; although I did reach the point that if I had to see another Gothic Church I would kill myself. Traveling most of the time with a Student Group we had access to University Housing and got to meet with the locals. We went to the Soviet Union and had our own Intourist Guide...he was a Grad Student that liked to show the gals around town...we all had a great time. This trip was so affordable...that it can never be duplicated. I went back again on a UW Alumni Tour; on my own in the UK and wonderful tour in France. After I married my husband, we went 2 times driving around the UK spending 21 and 15 days touring England, Wales and Scotland. After that it was sort of been there, done that. For a while I had to stay close to home to take care of my Mom. Now we live on Camano Island in Washington State with 2 waterfront State Parks and we belong to many enviromental groups as volunteers, we are usually so busy, (we still zoom) that we don't feel the need to go away. Hopefully, the Covid-19 will go away someday; so we can at least take road trips to visit friends and family on the West Coast and Montana. Flying and keeping schedules seems like it would be an awful chore.

My husband and I have traveled yearly to Europe over the last 10 years. Although my husband is a 2 million miler flier he still loves Europe! What keeps us coming back is the history, architecture, cuisine, picturesque towns, and natural beauty. We love the Mediterranean climate and the beautiful coastline, seeing rugged mountains as a backdrop to the sea. Being from the Midwest this is a treat for us. Our favorites have been Villefranche sur Mer, France; Sorrento and Positano, Italy, the Cinqueterre, and Venice. We enjoy looking out from a balcony at the sea. The gorgeous cathedrals and art museums and live classical music concerts have been awesome in Paris, Milan, Florence, Venice, and Vienna. Seeing ancient ruins in Athens, Akrotiri, Santorini, and Pompeii has been fascinating and stimulating. There is so much variety in Europe in England, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain, Greece, France, and Italy that we are exhilarated each time that we visit. These trips have a 3 fold blessing - the fun of researching where to go, the actual experience when we are there among the local people, and the memories and photos that we enjoy afterwards.

I literally 'fell in love' with Europe on my first trip (20 years ago). It hit me like a ton of bricks. I'd travel to 48 states up till that point so travel itself wasn't new, but it was just something about Europe that had me hooked. I've since visited 30 European countries. This year, not being able to go (I had two trips totaling 7 weeks planned) is heartbreaking. Before the pandemic had I had told myself I should branch out, see other places and had started to research trips to Asia, Africa and South America. But now that I can't go to Europe I know that being there is more important to me than seeing other places. I may still do those trips to other continents, but it's returning to Europe that I really want. I want to visit new places in the countries I've been to numerous times, but also to return to cities/places I love. The thought that I might never be able to go to those places makes me more 'home sick' feeling than I've ever felt for my real 'home' when I'm in Europe. The second that vaccine is available I'm booking my next trip.

So I think the answer to your question is that there isn't an explanation. It's just something you feel.

Curiosity. Sense of discovery. Appreciation of history.
Comfort.

To this day remember walking by the Arch of Titus and turning to see the Colosseum. Grew weak at the knees. That’s why I travel. Europe is filled with those moments of awe.

Adapted from the introduction to The Smiles of Rome: A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers (Susan Cahill, ed.)

Note: I have substituted Europe for Rome

Europe has the power to blow your mind and heart, bestowing a much larger capacity for the beauty of the world than you started out with… it’s the accumulation of pasts in Europe and one’s consciousness of those layers - that can make Traveling to Europe a life-changing experience. Once Europe enters your consciousness, your perspective on human time may change, deepen, mellow… Everywhere, something invisible makes itself felt in the visible, pulsating with hidden presences, a register of the human psyche and of centuries of history striated by horror, by thrilling legends, and anonymous kindness. Getting to know Europe, we come home to ourselves…

I was so lucky to be in the US Air Force and be stationed near London at RAF Chicksands
in the early seventies long before Rick's books and the internet. I put together a three week
trip and got three friends together and we rented a VW van and we were off across the English
Channel...first to Paris, then over the Alps to Rome & Pisa (we climbed the Tower) then back up
stopping at Berchtesgaden & Salzburg, Brussels and ending Easter weekend in Amsterdam
before the ferry home. I was hooked It took some years to get a career going and save some
money and start accumulating frequent flyer miles but since 1989 have 16 trips, took 16 different
friends and never paid for a flight except the taxes. Saw the Cinque Terre and Hallstatt before they
were overrun by tourists, luv the smaller scenic areas like the Lauterbrunnen Valley (my fav place
in Europe), Zermatt, Annency, Sorrento and of course marveled at Venice, Florence, Rome, Paris,
the South of France, Normandy, Copenhagen and the Neuschwanstein castle. And I believe what
Rick says...travel as if you are coming back as I've been to many of those place multiple times and
many times the return trip is more enjoyable than the first.

I went to Scotland from Canada to study nursing when I was 17, as I had close family there.
Loved every minute of it, and subsequently lived and worked in four different countries afterward.
Have been back to Scotland many times since, and it's like a second home to me.
I love all the history in Europe.
In 2003, my husband did renos for a friend; and instead of paying him he gave us airmiles which we used to go to Italy.
I have since been back to Italy ten more times, and just love it.
I can only explain it by saying it's so different there from home here in Canada.
I love the "living on the street" type of culture: cafes, people walking everywhere instead of in cars, the village like atmosphere even in the big cities.
Friends who don't travel can't understand why I keep going back.

However, right now: I'd go anywhere!!!

For me it all began because I was curious. As a child I wanted to travel to China and Amsterdam. And now I have visited both several times. They were my stepping stones and the more I travel, the more places I want to visit. Europe and Asia are my favorites but I’ve enjoyed visiting other parts of the world too. We have friends who travel between their two homes and then stay put. Year in and year out. A life led that way would drive me crazy! Now due to the Coronavirus, I can’t travel and I can’t wait to be free to be off again!

Allan, I appreciate your keeping the intelligent discussion going on here in the forum.

I had/have friends like yours too. When I was in my early 20s, I couldn't find anyone interested in going to Europe, so started traveling on my own. Now, it seems like most people I know think a vacation is a week in Las Vegas, or down at the lake, fishin' and drinkin'. I look at it as there being two kinds of travel: relaxing beach/cruise/resort vacations; and exploring, adventurous, learning vacations. I like them both, but still have the curiosity to want to go abroad.

Europe has always drawn me, partly because my family roots in the US are pretty shallow, and I grew up in a mix of European immigrant communities (post WWII) where everyone had family in the old country. So I always understood that there was a variety of people with different languages, traditions, foods, religions, histories, etc., beyond the mainstream WASP stereotype. Films and literature helped feed that interest. It seemed natural to me to want to explore those places. That interest hasn't worn off.

I think North America has more natural beauty than most of Europe, but Europe is more interesting culturally and the people are more civilized. But actually, my favorite country is Canada which has the best of both.

So if I've learned anything from the COVID, its don't put off travel. If we get a reprieve, I hope to make the most of it.

I have been in all but 12 States. I have visited Canada more times then I can count easily. I have been in about a dozen counties over the years.
I used to take a 2 week trip someplace every year. Usually looking at old buildings or battlefields or scenery.
I was never in a position to go to Europe on a regular basis. And with the economy and my dads health and the costs of taking care of him (having to take two days a week off does bad things to the pocketbook). It is questionable when I will get back to traveling much less Europe..

But if money (and COVID) allowed I could easily spend 3 weeks a year in Europe or more. I have thought that if I hit. lotto I would rent a place in England as my base and travel throughout Europe for as much time as I could.

For me it is the differences as much as anything, just the road signs and such look different enough to remind me I am traveling. In the US you can often forget what stat you are in as they tend to have much in common. In Europe you know you are a long way from home exploring.
Add in the “history” of the place in its buildings and such and it is just irresistible.

So much beauty, so many new experiences, and yet, we felt like we were
where we belonged. Although we only had a couple of nights in London,
we had the same joyous reaction.

Jane, this is how we felt when we were in England 2 years ago. In Canada we are heavily influenced by the United States from economy to culture, but it hadn't occurred to me how much influence that Great Britain still has on our way of life; parliamentary governance, we're still royal subjects of the Queen, surprisingly still many shared mannerisms and customs, and a shared history thanks to immigration 100-200 years earlier. It made me realize that not only am I North American, but I also feel that I'm at home in England.

Having extensively traveled the USA while I was much younger; to a degree that it is easier to list the places I haven't been, then the places I have been to, and then later in life, traveling to France, Italy and England, I began to realize that everything in the US; cultural, historical and artistic, are mere shadows of the European Originals.

Being raised in the USA, I feel like I was somewhat brainwashed into believing the myth of American Exceptionalism. Going to Europe, and hearing/seeing a different perceptive and narrative, just shredded my misinformed concept that Americans had invented everything in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries that is considered modern. I'd be hard pressed to name one single thing that didn't have a precursor invented in Europe/UK. The Americans just improved things already invented in Europe and then twisted the history in their favor.

So, I love going back to Europe, to see originality. And when I come back, I can see that places like Washington DC, are kind of weird replicas of older European Capital Cities. Also because, these societies are so old, they have already been through huge social upheavals and found workable resolutions, or revolutions. And what I see are cultures that are at least 50 years in to the future of North Americans.
There is also an aesthetic, entirely un-found in the USA.

See if you can easily find a Cell Phone Tower in Europe: Yet coverage is nearly everywhere. The Europeans hind them: Cause Cell Towers are UGLY. We have no sense that aesthetics are important at all.

There is also cultural "respects." Sometimes you'll see a religious box, hung on a wall on some side street. It is saying something, about an event that happened 100 years ago, but in it are actual things of value. Yet it doesn't get vandalized. So there are still rules that even the most desperate of people will not cross. Every time I see one of these, it makes me smile, even though I'm not religious. Just the fact that people respect it. is what makes me smile.
These are a few of the reasons why I like to go back to Europe. The USA exhausts me with its pettiness. Visiting Europe is like a a big dosage of goodness, continuity, originality and a view into the future. :)

Allan, I have wondered about this as I can't understand people who dont have an interest in travel. I read an article years ago - a tangent but bear with me - about people who had a certain type of brain damage that made it harder for them to feel stimulated. As a result they often felt bored, and needed extra external stimuli to get them interested at the level that the average person is 'normally'. I have since thought back about that article and wondered if some people's brains are wired to seek out more stimulation. My husband says that I like to be challenged, and if Im not, I will seek it out. Two kids becomes too easy, have another kid. One dog is manageable, get a second. Job becomes routine, go back to school for more study. Traveling the U.S. from end to end has been done, move beyond. I think this is part of the appeal of travel generally: what those above said about being adventurous. I have always been wired for adventure. Why Europe? Well, that's just where we started, but I want to explore beyond Europe as well.
As for why Europe: I was raised in a very cosmopolitan, European-like town in the U.S., where curiosity about difference and multiculturalism was taken-for-granted, and food was appreciated and cars were not, my mom is European and we traveled to visit her side of the family a few times in my childhood and eventually, when my kids were old enough to not drive us crazy on a trip like that (and we had the money! This is not a small consideration), we started taking them, and now we are all hooked.
As a counter-point, my husband grew up in a very homogenous midwestern city and never traveled. His parents have no interest. They think its "neat" that we love it and have given the experience to our kids, but they have zero appetite for it. My husband couldn't imagine how wandering an old city could be fun, until he came with me, and now understands. So, part nature, part nurture?
Do you also find that the people you know who dont travel much are not readers? I see a relationship between people who love to read and learn new things and people who love to travel

Ah, nurture. That is another consideration. 1960 in Canada still saw a lot of immigration, but assimilation was expected. Out West, we had few numbers and diversity and again, you didn't talk about it. My parents are Canadian, but we lived 4 years in Cuba during the revolution, me being born there. That caused a furvor in my semirural Vancouver Island neighbourhood particularly as we didn't hide our experience. I am the youngest of 3 and my parents and siblings read widely and travelled, either from the armchair or in life. We didn't have the money to travel far as a family, but a global interest was always expected and encouraged.
With that was a strong example of women being capable and independent so global solo travel was also supported.
I certainly appreciate that upbringing.

Been to all 50 US states plus 14 foreign countries. I consider myself pretty well traveled for an American. I always go somewhere new and what keeps me traveling is the experience of learning something new. Many of the best memories were things that were not on the original itinerary.

My wife and I enjoy the different cultures, architecture, history and meeting different people. Probably our favorite country is Spain; that we fell in love with when we lived there years ago. We go back frequently but now, it’s to visit the smaller towns and villages. It fun researching different places to see what they have to offer. We also enjoy S. America that has a completely different feel than Europe. Unfortunately, I have many friends who have seldom traveled anyplace where there wasn’t a bar, a beach, and part of a resort. Many others do a lot of talking, but never make a trip.

I believe we like travel in general, not just Europe, to learn other cultures and to continue refining our worldview. We lived and raised kids successfully in South America for nine years when we were first married. Later with the kids gone, it was time for Europe. We're not heavy into art, but we visit museums and cathedrals. As much as one can in a month or so, we like to learn how things are done where we visit. That might mean the time of meals or how the trash is picked up. So we eat and watch and learn. Great fun has been had on a dozen trips to Europe plus others to the middle East and Australia & NZ. But we don't talk about it much in certain groups because, like others have said, there's no interest. Keep on travelin'.

I began to realize that everything in the US; cultural, historical and
artistic, are mere shadows of the European Originals.

Descendants of our First Peoples might take issue with that? North American history began long before the arrival of Europeans, even if only in oral or pictorial forms. Their Ancestors had rich cultures in the form of handwork (jewelry, decorative clothing, carving, pottery and other craft) in religion, astronomical knowledge, song and tribal mythologies: Interesting stuff!

Like many of you, travel abroad allows us to take in art, architecture, customs and sometimes scenery that are different than at home. At the same time, our many return trips to the American Southwest have provided breathtaking moments in stunningly beautiful but inhospitable landscapes, and background on the indigenous people who have inhabited them.

"...what keeps you so mesmerized about Europe that you keep going back?"

So much Europe, so little time.

I wanted to go to Europe from the time I was a child. I finally got to do it at the age of 31, after saving for a long time, quitting my job and selling almost everything I owned to generate the money.

I was able to spend 4 months traveling long before mobile phones, personal computers of any kind and Schengen limits. It was also a time when a Eurailpass was worth something.

My primary goal was to see as much of the art, architecture and history I'd studied as I possibly could.

My secondary goal was to prove to myself that I could get around on my own in places with different currencies, languages I didn't speakand modes of transportation I'd never used. I wanted to eat foods I'd never eaten and experience cultures and customs for which no amount of reading could prepare me.

Hmmmm? That's why I travel now, too. Plus a major thing I learned on that first trip, I like to get the "feel" of a place. Similar to what some other posters have said, there are definitely destinations where I feel more at home than others.

There are also some that I have absolutely no interest in visiting, not only in Europe, but also in the US and other parts of the world.

That lack of interest gives me some hints as to why some of my friends and relatives don't travel far away from where they live, or indeed, at all.

To answer your question...I’m not mesmerized by Europe. I enjoy travel almost anywhere. I’ve traveled more to non European countries than I have to European countries. Those trips have been the most memorable ones for me, too. I’m not sure why people go back to Europe, and often the same countries, over and over again. I like variety and new experiences. My next trip, in 2021 (I hope), will not be to Europe. I don’t have anything against it, but why repeat myself?

Can’t get enough of, for starters, the food, scenery, and art.

".... what keeps you so mesmerized about Europe that you keep going back?"

Interesting question that I've been reflecting on recently, having just cancelled a trip to England and Switzerland in September because of the virus. At age 70, I figure I've got maybe 10 years for some more overseas trips, if I'm lucky.

I've made 6 cross-country car trips across the U.S. (either East to West or vice versa) and visited most states (except Alaska and Nebraska) and about 20 National Parks. Besides Europe, I've traveled to China, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Canada and Mexico.

I find Europe quite mesmerizing for many reasons although I've only visited a few countries -- England (2 trips), Ireland (2), Spain (1), France (3), Italy (2) and Switzerland (3).

The virus and lockdown have caused me to consider priorities. If I'm fortunate to be able to take 10 more trips, I think my destinations would be Switzerland (4), Italy (3), France (2) and England (1). I really can't express why I'd prefer to go back to these countries rather than try new countries, but I definitely feel that way.

In fact, if I only had 4 more trips left, they'd all be to the Berner Oberland region of Switzerland and what I consider to be the best single hiking destination in the world. The mountains are calling, and I must go.

I travel because travel feeds my soul and I love the history, art, architecture and culture of Europe. Missing it so much this summer!!

I never knew I wanted to go to Europe until my wife told me that I did. She'd always wanted to go to Italy-and specifically Rome. I was excited-but more because we were going on a trip to somewhere. I think back on it now and before that first trip I'm surprised how little I knew about anything outside of Canada and the US. Now, I'm mesmerized because of the pre-planning I do to learn of the history of what I'll be seeing and the stories of the people that made the history. It's no longer enough for me to just go and look at the sites and say I've seen the Colosseum, now I'm like a reporter sniffing around looking for a great story.

Ever since I studied European history in school i have wanted to visit Europe.
My first trip in 1996 was to England and Belgium and I have visited a European country or two every year since then.
I enjoy the research, planning and anticipation just as much as the actual visit.
I love the history, architecture, food and lifestyle; I love the ease of getting around, the cafés, the mountains, the castles, the museums, the diversity of each country, languages, and so much more.
(European) travel is what makes me happy and excited. It fills a void that nothing else can/will.
It's the happy place in my heart :-)

wander and wonder joyfully

We have two timeshares in Spain, one in Estepona and one in Mallorca, both places we love with Mallorca being our favourite. We've explored both areas extensively so when we return (usually in the May and October half terms) we like to spend our time relaxing in the sun and taking leisurely lunches and dinners before retiring back to our villa. In the summer holidays we like to travel further afield, whether it's the US, Caribbean, Mexico, Asia etc. The last two years we've spent Christmas abroad and during the year we take several long weekend city breaks in various cities throughout Europe so for us it's a mix of familiarity and new experiences. We enjoy the relaxing downtime in familiar places where we have our favourite restaurants, bars and shops and we also enjoy the excitement of discovering new places. We're neither one nor the other, we enjoy both types of travel.

I don’t consider anywhere in the US as going away. Is it because I have already seen a majority of it? And still do? I don’t know. Canada is only slightly more interesting, as it still feels like home and is well known by me, but at least in Quebec I can practice my French. Besides the discussion was about Europe...and I still have much to explore in spite of at least yearly trips for the last 20 years. We just all have different lifestyles and interests. Period. There is no right or wrong, really. And the more people who want to stay home, the more pleasant my vacation will be!

I tend to come home tired from my overseas trips because it is more
difficult to navigate the language differences, travel details,
finding my way around new cities and towns, and getting from one place
to the next. But while I am more tired after these trips, I do have to
say my brain is much more energized and I continually replay what I've
seen, learned and experienced during my travels.

Yes. I also come home tired, and it's the sense of adventure of navigating all of the above that I love and my brain is full of new things to talk about and research further for the next trip. My first few European adventures have actually trained me to be a better traveler in my own country and seek out history and stories. I've even done it on family Disney vacations; lots of history and lots of stories to be found to distract me from sensory overload and lines.

Why do we keep going back? There are a few places I love and have visited many times : Maui, BI, Virgin Gorda, St John (USVI), Paris, Bellagio on Lake Como come to mind. "I like them" is the only thing i can think of that drives me back to them.

Some places I like - Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, New Zealand- I've only visited once but would love to revisit but for whatever reason we haven't made it back. My husband and I were just saying last night - when the vaccine finally is available for CV19 our first trip will be 3 weeks back to France two stops to places we have visited and one new destination.

There is something to be said about feeling comfortable in a place.

The major question I have to ask myself is whether to return to places
I know I like, or to try someplace different.

If I had the time and the money there isn't an adventure yet that I wouldn't replicate. I'm torn, I want to keep seeing new things, but whenever I'm home I relive the memories and start researching about what I saw, and then diving further into the history, and then I want to see it again to take a look at the details I missed. I need to win the lottery.

Allan, you may also need the Fountain of Youth!

I lived in Frankfurt aM from 1957-1962 when I was 5-10. So, when I go to Germany, it's like revisiting my home that I grew up in. We went there because my mom was the daughter of 2 immigrants who were ethnically German from the Donau Schwaben group in Yugoslavia. She wanted to see Germany. My dad had served in WWII from 1944-1947 in Germany and Austria, and wanted to go back. Both spoke German. My mom had second cousins in Frankfurt, with whom we spent time. So my feeling on entering a backerei-conditerei is "where's Tante Liese?"

Another huge influence was Richard Halliburton. He was an "adventure tourist" of the 1920s and 1930s. He would do things like sneak into the Taj Mahal at night and swim in the pools. He wrote 2 books "The Occident" and "The Orient". Very heavy on the "romance of forbidden fruit".

My wife spent a summer abroad in S France. She speaks French and Spanish. So she covers the Romance countries, while do the Germanic and Slavic (Russian in college).

As to our touring, we love the Balkans the most. The tourist scene is not over-crazy. The prices are good. The food is good. The wine goes from decent to outstanding. Sometimes I dream of being in Zagreb again, or Beograd, or Novi Sad.

Some places I like - Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, New Zealand- I've
only visited once but would love to revisit but for whatever reason we
haven't made it back.

We're still fairly new to Europe as compared to a lot of you so we're still going back and visiting locations for the first time. London in September was supposed to be our first return trip to a European destination, but even then, almost every site we were planning on visiting would have been new.

When I was growing up in the US, education was very Euro-centric. From 4th to 8th grade, American history started with Columbus and by the end of the school year, we'd only got as far as Washington's presidency, rinse, repeat. In high school, world history was all about Europe, American history was all about dates. The only foreign languages taught were European - French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin. In my early 20's I moved to Israel and Europe was close and "familiar" so it was the obvious destination for vacations.

The idea of walking through streets that have existed for centuries still awes me, more so when I think that some of the residents have roots there that go back as far as the cobblestones, even today. I learned a lot about ancient history from visiting sights here in Israel - Assyrians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslim Arabs, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Ottomans . . . all came here and left their mark. So when I go to historical sights in Europe I deepen my knowledge and understanding.

There seems to be no end to the variety. I love returning to places, there's comfort in the familiar - no stress from having to orient to the new - and there are always unexpected discoveries. So I try to mix them together. A return to familiar city may include a couple nights in another town. Sometimes on a trip to a new place/area I can tack on a few days somewhere I've been before.

I'm fortunate that all my friends love travel - indeed it's common in Israel.

Rick Steves keeps saying, “Assume you will be back.” And what do you know, we return!

Rick Steves keeps saying, “Assume you will be back.” And what do you
know, we return!

That is such good advice. Our first European adventure was a Mediterranean cruise, and I was a bit stressed because we'd only be spending a day in so many locations. I knew it wasn't going to be enough time, but a friend gave me similar advice to treat the cruise as a sneak peak of places you might want to revisit. That took a lot of the stress away. A cruise was the best method for us as a first trip and it helped us add to our bucket-list of places that we want to get back to.

HMMM Why and When did I realize I'd want to travel... anywhere - anytime ! ? History, family encouragement and the "why - how" did we in the US get to be us?
Grew up in the '50's visiting grandparents (East Coast and Ky) from IN. One set wintered in Acapulco - 'cause it was too cold in Kentucky. An Uncle who traveled to Europe, Australia & NZ regularly. All brought their stories and experiences home to us. Anywhere that had a camp ground was the family vacation destination. Visited 48 states (all but ND & Arkansas - know why I missed ND but not certain how I missed Ark...!). Studied Art History and Fine Arts in college.
During grad-school ('77), I finally found a travel mate and saved enough cash to do a whirlwind 3 week trip. Drove bits of Germany, Austria, Italy, France and England & Belgium. A true "if it's Tuesday I must be somewhere else" trip. I actually cried as I sat on a bridge in Paris looking at Notre Dame and got to hug the "rocks" at Stonehenge when you still could. And learned - always take an extra credit card, be ready for the fun "stuff" that pops up & 1 night stands are generally BAD - just like in dating ;-}

My main requirement of a spouse was a desire to travel. During our working "lives" DH & I cruised for our honeymoon ('81), experienced Hong Kong ('88) and in the '90's drove Western Australia/NZ as well as a bit of Germany, Switz & Venice with above Uncle and my Mom. We were now totally hooked. I was able to retire early ('03). Since his lung transplant in ('09), we have cruised (+30), done a couple of group tours, and many weeks of independent explorations (US & +50 countries). For us - cruises are for a "taste" of an area, tours for areas we know little about. We will go on our own as long as we can pull our always shrinking luggage and ask a local - Where is the best place for a coffee/beer/wine and a pastry/tapas?

BUT - Only in Europe can one have the experience of "This is the room where Queen Isabella gave Columbus the 'check' and said "Go discover America !!! " (to paraphrase) as we did in Seville on our first solo trip (Thanks RS) in '15. Our must go back to places are definitely in Europe. Tho I'd do China again in a heartbeat and DH really wants to go back to Machu Picchu.

In general show me a car, train, plane or ship and I'll say "what time do we leave and what temperature should I pack for?"

Great question Allan. The bug, the itch, whatever you want to call it is why we go. Also, because I have created a monster in my wife. She grew up only taking camping trips up to northern Michigan or to see family in Canada. I was taken all across the country for our family trips. My first trip over was 1983 (you do the math for how long ago that was). My second and her first trip to Europe was 1990 for our honeymoon. Since then we have traveled more than our family and friends put together. Even this pandemic can not stop us. We have never owned a cottage but we do own a timeshare. We choose to spend a few weeks every other year in the wintertime in Hawaii. The other time we use it for traveling to different places. One year we spent a week in the Highlands of Scotland and used it as our base for exploring the area. We have changed our style of travel as we have gotten older. Our most recent trips over have been about finding our heritage and seeing where our ancestors have lived. We found my great grandfathers grave south of London and walked the street of the little town where he had a number of different shops at the turn of the century. Not this one, the last one :) We spent last September visiting Dieppe France to visit her great Uncles grave as he was a casualty of the failed raid of 1942. We have traveled internationally outside of Europe but we have found that we are more comfortable there just as I am here on this forum. I see myself in a lot of the different people who are posting comments here.

We have traveled all over the world. Europe is a place we return to because it is comfortable, part of our family and country’s heritage. I want each country to preserve their heritage, culture and food. That’s what makes repeat trips worthwhile. The EU has made travel easier but the downside is countries begin to loose their unique identity. Independent travel is always a doable challenge all over Europe. And you can drink the water everywhere. I want to buy wine, beer and coffee, not water. Sorry, I lost my train of thought. I Can’t wait to travel again!

Allan: Let us back in! I had just gotten my Easy Pass. I just want to take the ferry to Victoria again!

.... I go back , simply , because I like being at home .... twopffenig