Travel Addicts

Photo: Malia

My wife announced yesterday that she is “traveled out.” I’m not surprised — I am too: Since mid-August we’ve taken trips (mostly long weekends) to Istanbul, Munich, French Switzerland, northeast Italy, Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Barcelona, and, starting tomorrow, Paris plus London again.

Her comment illustrates her diminishing marginal utility of travel. Today we’re planning next summer’s vacation, a week starting after a conference I have in Lisbon. I suggested to my wife: “Wouldn’t you rather go to a beach and relax after all the travel we’ve just done?” She said no; she realizes by that time she’ll want to travel around more than she does right now.

She knows how rationally addicted she is to travel. Fortunately it’s an addiction we share — and I bet this is a pretty common kind of joint rational addiction of long-term married couples.