The temptations travelers face on the road are numerous. There are so many experiences to taste, adventures to savor. In fact, most travelers, whether by chance or circumstance, must surely have faced the seven deadly sins of the world during their trip — perhaps all of them in a single city.

Gluttony

I love visiting a country for its cuisine. Every place seems to have its own special fare when it comes to food, and we should all definitely sample them as part of our stay. Who can resist those tempting Parisian patisseries, calling out to us from every corner? What about the delicious tapas in Granada taverns, complemented by a cool beer, or a simple mouth-watering currywurst in Berlin? Let’s not forget about delicious Belgian chocolates. Every traveler should try at least one local delicacy, even on a tight budget.

Greed

Although the traditional definition of this sin relates to financial pursuits, it can also relate to travel pursuits. That is, once we get a taste of the travel bug, we just want more. When I started planning my trip, the only places I wanted to go to were France and Spain. I was going to spent three months in those two countries and that was it. However when I arrived, greed grabbed me by the toes and spiraled my ambition sky-high, and I ended up going to a total of 16 European countries over about six months.

Sloth

It’s OK to travel and do absolutely nothing — just to laze about and not venture out to any of the places you’re visiting — and sometimes that feels like a sin. But having days off is an important part of long-term travel, as these days help you recover physically and mentally. For me, if my body and mind didn’t become over-weary from going place to place every few days, I would just keep going. On these occasions, I take a break from sight-seeing, and my entire day consists mainly of sleeping, eating, reading, and surfing the internet. These lazy moments really help keep the mind fresh, and ready the following day to continue with wayward adventures.

Lust

Inevitably, this rates quite highly on the travel chart. Traveling solo does have its ups and downs, and the downs are easily remedied by companionship, as explained to a greater extent in this other article.

Wrath

Often described as anger, rage, or vengeance, unfortunately these feelings do manifest themselves on our travels. Traveling is filled with unpredictable moments, especially if we discover changes in plans too late, or if we miss our transportation for whatever reason, or simply if we meet hostile people along the way. Alone and tired, sometimes we react unfavorably to certain situations. Just remember that getting pissed off never really solved any problems. So take a deep breath, and learn to develop a sense of calm to help you get through tough situations.

Envy

Although travelers are certainly guilty of this one (perhaps another traveler has been to more places than you, or just returned from your dream destination), it seems that non-travelers are more likely to be prone to this Deadly Sin. From experience, this feeling often emanates from less-traveled people, who inform me that the luxury of traveling is difficult to achieve for them. They say to me “I wish I could do what you’re doing, you’re so lucky”. I disagree. As long as choices are made, compromises acknowledged, and decisions followed through, travel is possible for everyone.

Pride

This is also known as vanity. And if you’re feeling a bit proud, that’s normal really, since travel is an achievement. Whether you’re traveling alone or in a group, you will face challenges and overcome them somewhere along the way, and that’s something to be proud of. Having just completed a grand trip through three continents and 18 countries, by myself through thick and thin, I just can’t help being guilty of this one!

What travel sins are you guilty of? Leave a comment below.

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This article was written by Stephanie Lee

Stephanie Lee was a professional couchsurfer in the Middle East, Egypt, and Europe for many months, thus is a bit of an expert on vagabonding. When not traveling, she resumes her normal life as an architect in Sydney. Stephanie is the author of the Art of Solo Travel, published by Indie Travel Media.