A Taxonomy of Travel FOMO

We recently attended "nerd night" in Phnom Penh: An aptly named expat event during which folks drink beer and listen to PowerPoint presentations on topics ranging from Teddy Roosevelt to video games as art. It was good fun and we learned something important from one presenter: During this year, we have been plagued by FOMO.

FOMO is defined by the Oxford dictionary as "anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website." We've learned that traveling can put you in an almost constant state of FOMO. Below we outline a brief taxonomy of travel-related FOMO:

Home FOMO: Yes, we're traveling to awesome, exotic places, but we also think about what we're missing back at home. Summer in New England, weddings, births, nieces and nephews growing up, and careers...your Facebook posts inspire FOMO, too!

Weather FOMO: While we were stuck for a week in rainy, windy weather fueled by a cyclone off the west coast of New Zealand, the east coast enjoyed pleasant, sunny weather. Weather FOMO quickly set in. Symptoms include obsessively checking the weather in multiple places on multiple weather websites.

Location FOMO: Closely related to other forms of FOMO, but distinct.  Commonly occurs when we think a place will be dodgy, or expensive, or potentially dull, so we plan just a few days there only to discover we love it but already paid for a bus or flight out two days later. Or when you're biking down a wet dirt road wondering why you're not hiking under sunny skies in Montana. 

Guidebook FOMO: This FOMO predates the internet age, but has only become more treacherous with the proliferation of travel blogs and travel review websites. Symptoms include paralyzing indecision when booking hotel rooms (you must read every review before booking!) and doing way too much (everything looks awesome, we have to do it all!).

Backpacker FOMO: This FOMO is not inspired by social media, but by actually talking to people. It comes in various forms: worrying that other travelers had a better experience than you, learning that someone found an even better hotel (despite having read every single review), and the general sense that you're somehow doing it all wrong. But this FOMO can be helpful,too, by inspiring you to change plans, visit somewhere not mentioned in the guidebook, and generally learn from other travelers.

As they say, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. We've taken that step, and are doing better.  Eleven more to go.