For most people, purchasing a desired item involves a simple trip to the local shopping centre. But some people are more inclined to hop on a plane and head overseas when a particular craving strikes. This may sound like a lifestyle only the very rich and eccentric could maintain, but you might be surprised by the variety of people from all walks of life who will drop everything for the sorts of crazy opportunities outlined below.
- Chocolate
Just about everyone likes chocolate. Nobody’s denying that. But there are some who love chocolate far more than others. As revealed in a blog post by Compare The Market, the pleasure of fine chocolate is worth travelling far and wide to experience. While most of us are happy to try the Swiss or Belgian chocolate we find in the supermarket, there are chocolate connoisseurs that won’t bat an eyelid about making a trans-continental trip just to sample new flavours fresh from the manufacturer.
- Disney Pins
If you’ve ever been to one of the Disneyland or Disney World theme parks, you should be aware of the wildly popular pin-trading culture that exists within their walls. Guests can purchase pin starter sets in the gift shop, and each set is updated 4 times a year. Guests then trade with each other, and with Disney cast members, for hard-to-find pins. Some pins sell for thousands of dollars, and “pin pals” make regular pilgrimages to both parks to stock up on new pins direct from the source.
- Photoshop
When you live in a country like Australia, it can feel like you’re always paying too much for technology and electronics. In 2013, Adobe was charging Australian customers so much for their Creative Suite package that it was cheaper for customers to fly to the US, purchase it there and fly home again rather than buying it domestically! And people were doing exactly this – in droves. Businesses and sole-traders alike were making the trip in huge numbers just to secure the sought-after software.
- Real Estate
Managing a real estate portfolio in your home country can be enough of a daunting proposition without adding international law to the mix. However, plenty of people love looking further afield when looking to buy property. Buying overseas can carry many benefits:
- Housing affordability varies nation-to-nation and city-to-city, meaning many places are cheaper than others
- Differing cultures generate different designs and architecture
- For those who love to travel, having a holiday home (or two) abroad is very enticing.
- Experiences
By far, one of the craziest things people will travel far and wide for are “experiences” – and not the kind you usually think of when travelling abroad (like sipping wine by the Seine as twilight gathers). Nope, we’re talking about strapping on a wingsuit and leaping off a Norwegian glacier. Or making friends with an eccentric British landowner who owns a working medieval trebuchet. Or maybe even diving through a sunken wreck in the Caribbean. Extreme? Perhaps. But there are plenty of people who thrive on the kind of thrill seeking this lifestyle provides.
These are just a handful of the crazy things people will travel overseas to find. Have you ever gone abroad to find something very specific? How did it go? Tell your story in the comments below!
