15 Signs You’re An Explorer

1. You love to get lost.

You enjoy the thrill of taking random detours and wandering around in the wilderness is one of your favorite things to do when you have a free afternoon. There’s no better feeling than disconnecting from social media for awhile and letting yourself just be still for awhile with nothing but the world around you.

2. You try to avoid tourist spots when you travel and prefer to go where the locals go.

While you can appreciate tourist attractions and understand why people go to them you’re more interested in finding undiscovered gems only the locals know about.

3. Planning the route of a trip is one of your favorite things.

Of course you love the actual act of traveling and exploring a destination but initially, after you’ve decided on a location, you enjoy figuring out the route you’re going to take, the things you’ll see and do on the way, and thinking about the many possibilities of what you’ll experience and who you’ll meet along the way.

4. You are constantly and inexplicably struck with a heavy sense of wanderlust.

You love to spend hours researching different destinations, finding out the cost of various trips, and getting yourself completely caught up in that heady and sublime feeling of wanderlust.

5. It really is about about the journey, not the destination.

As overused as that quote is you know that travel and exploration is really about what happens on the way to your destination. It’s often when you find yourself in between two places that great self-reflection and discovery happens.

6. You travel light.

You try your best to travel with little more than what you absolutely need on a trip. A compass, camera, notebook and pen, map, some snacks, a water bottle, and a few clothes are all you really need on the road. Traveling with much more usually feels unnecessary.

7. You hate being expected to stick to an itinerary.

When you’re traveling with a group of people or if your schedule requires it, sometimes you’re forced to pin down exact details of your trip. You find this to be confining and limiting. You want to travel and explore on your own time and on your own terms.

8. You prefer traveling to destinations that aren’t usually at the top of travelers’ lists.

While other people are backpacking through Europe or headed to Vegas you’re attracted to the more obscure places and activities. Your bucket list includes things like the Bolivian salt flats or going on an expedition through the Son Doong Cave. You get a thrill out of doing things a little out of the ordinary on your trips.

9. You always have a notebook or camera on you.

You can find inspiration in the most unexpected places at times so you always make sure to have something on you to capture a moment.

10. You love learning about strange lands and experiencing other cultures first hand.

You can’t imagine a life without exploring the foothills of the Himalayas or witnessing the remote beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. You don’t simply want to read about other people’s adventures, you want to experience them yourself. You’re fascinated and interested in the customs and cultures vastly different than the ones you grew up with and seek to understand the people and places seemingly so different from what you know.

11. Your preferred luggage is a backpack, not a suitcase.

You find it so much easier and simpler to throw everything you need into a pack as opposed to being tied down on a trip with a suitcase.

12. You’re inspired by the unknown.

The thought of going to a land you’ve never been surrounded by unknown faces and unfamiliar landscapes is one of the most exciting experiences to you. It’s an adrenaline rush you can’t find anywhere else.

13. You’re always thinking about your next adventure.

Whether it’s going on a random hiking trip or flying off to a new country you’ve always got your sights set on a new voyage.

14. Your favorite books or TV shows are always travel based.

When you can’t go off exploring on your own you seek inspiration within the pages of a travel memoir or on the Travel channel. You find that anytime you’re feeling a little listless just reading about someone else’s adventures helps you reignite your passion.

15. When you’re in the middle of nowhere that’s when you truly feel at peace.

There’s just something about being surrounded by trees, a lake, the ocean, or similar atmosphere that makes you feel the most at home. Being in nature is when you feel your true self and when you can really feel a connection with the world.