Travel smoking: why smokers love the open road

Jonathan Tait    trekkingholidays     backpacking, RTW, rtw trip, Travel, trekking, Walking

The cigarette, for smokers, is a metaphor for travel. And, whether you like it or not, it’s inextricably linked to the world of backpacking and the flow of adventure.

Smoking a hookah - all part of the experience? Image: Flickr/ timsnell

We can divide travel smoking into the tangible and the abstract. There are two instantly tangible or recognisable reasons for ‘travel smoking’: it’s cheap and it kills time [kills more than time].

In some, less health-conscious nations, 50 pence will get you a 20-pack of cigarettes – great if you smoke, but not so great if you are trying to give up.

Once on the road, waiting is an occupation. When you are a smoker, all these transient moments, times of reflection and calm relative to the heartbeat of adventure, are reflected and accompanied with the smoking of a cigarette. Light it and this moment begins, finish it and again the transcendence is over. And if your bus still hasn’t arrived, you might even light another.

Now we approach the abstract: the cigarette as a metaphor for travel. There’s always anticipation – ok, this is addiction working – and then there’s the spark from the lighter just after the wheels hit the runway, and you inhaling your first breath as you step out into a new world.

What follows are burning enjoyment and mellow moments as you continue your experience, high off the fumes of local culture. Then, scrubbing it out with your foot as you reluctantly step onto a plane – you’ve had your last quick fix.

Your adventure is over, but there will be more – both are addictions, one good for you the other not. But, of course, unlike the cigarette, travel always leaves great memories and never any regrets.

About the author

Jon Tait wrote 6 articles on this blog.

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