numinous

Are You a Hodophile? No, It’s Not an Insult

Published September 30, 2019 | By Clark Norton

The Garden of Earthy Delights, by Hieronymous Bosch

First setting eyes on The Garden of Earthly Delights, by Hieronymous Bosch, was for me a numinous experience

Previously, I wrote about hodophobia: the fear of travel, and some ways to conquer it.

Today’s topic is a bit more fun and upbeat: some less-known — and generally quite obscure — terms that reflect the essence of the love and fascination of travel. (Some aren’t confined strictly to travel, but offer insight into it.) Some of the terms are from English, and some from other languages.

The latter are particularly interesting to me because they capture some nuances that English does not. (And because of that, I may miss some of that nuance — so if you’re among the native Portuguese, German, or Swedish speakers who follow this blog, please free to correct me.)

Let’s start with a pure travel term that’s the opposite of hodophobia: hodophilia.