I've been an effervescent traveler since I was a young child. My mother was intent on her children seeing the far-reaches of the globe, so I'd often be pulled out of school, packed up on a plane, and flown off into the wonderful sunny corners of the world.
Something that happens when you spend your entire young life traveling the world is that you get a pretty extreme case of wanderlust. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, wanderlust is a word meant to define the strong desire to travel.
When being the possessor of this marvelous thirst for exploring, some things about your personality and desires become evident with time. Some of them bad, some of them good. Here are some traits that come along with the passion for travel:
1. You get the "I've been in one place too long" itch.
When you're accustomed to traveling the world and seeing the marvels of civilizations past, it's hard to stay cramped up in one place for too long. You start to watch movies and think, "God I'd kill to be in that country right now!" . You start daydreaming about your past travels and begin to plan your future one's. It's like your body and mind rebel against the fact that you've gone too long without hopping in a car and exploring or flying to some unbeknownst location and seeing new places.
2. You become a constant daydreamer.
Life in your head becomes so fascinating and fun! Because you've seen and done so many amazing things, it's like your head is your own little Atlas. As such, you're often seen getting glazy-eyed and dreaming off into your own little world. Your friends might start to say, "Earth to *insert name here*, what planet were you just on?"
3. You become an obsessive travel planner.
What I mean by this is that you're constantly planning your next adventure. You're brainstorming up new ideas and new places to see and explore. It's like you can't get enough of the world and you just want to see it all at once.
4. A desk job sounds like your own personal hell.
When you've spent even a small amount of your life walking along the streets of some foreign suburbia-like country and you've seen the wonders of life outside of your own little American bubble, the thought of being cooped up at a desk all day staring at a computer makes you want to cry and then go run and hide. You need to see and touch, feel and experience. The thought of not being able to walk on cobbled streets or smell the wonderful exotic foods of the world everyday makes you want to just pack a bag and leave everything behind.
5. You feel like you've lived a thousand lives.
When you've traveled the world and seen the far-reaches of nowhereland, you sometimes feel that you become another person. I know this sounds weird to most, but when you're traveling abroad it's like you become seven hundred different versions of yourself. It's as if you've lived a thousand different lives, walked in a thousand different shoes, and had so many complete and utterly crazy experiences that it feels like your life is broken up into chunks of another life. It's like you're holding the memories of a bunch of different people, but for some reason, you all share the same face and smile.
6. Relationships, or holding onto concrete things, can be really hard for you.
When you have wanderlust, your personality can be electric. You've seen so any otherworldly things, been so many places, lived so many lives. As such, a lot of people want to get close to you and some might want to tame or hold onto you. When someone comes into your life and wants to share theirs with you, it can sometimes be hard for you. They might not share the same adventurous tendencies as you and, as such, you feel like they hold you back. When feelings develop, you feel this awful conflicted sensation because all you want to do is be with this person, but you feel like you're losing yourself and who you are. It's the worst feeling in the world.
If you meet someone who has insatiable wanderlust, do yourself a favor: let them go. If you can't hold onto them and follow them through their adventures, it's best that you let them don their traveling shoes and see the world. As much as you may love them, so does the world. And they love the world right back.
7. You can have or make an adventure anywhere you go.
Whether it be in a middle-of-nowhere town with an adorable little coffee shop that smells like old books or a bustling metropolis that has amazing back alleyway restaurants and giant, mountainous buildings, you can find the fun wherever you go. There's always something to see, somewhere to be, someone to meet, and you're always ready.
8. You sometimes feel that, when you leave the stifling institution that is college, that your life can finally begin. You can just leave.
While college is filled with wonderful experiences and memories, sometimes it can be a little frustrating. You can't help but think about the far-reaches of the world and all that it has to offer. As such, when you graduate, all you want to do is pull out that worn suitcase, pack your marvelous travel clothes, grab that passport and stamp that sucker up. You can get out and explore. Hop on a plan to a new and exotic location to see and touch the world. Its finally here, and it's all yours.
Wanderlust is an incredible trait to have. It brings with it the amazing tendency to seek out and experience your surroundings, meet new people and always be on the look out for new adventures. If you are the possessor of this wonderful quality, with the bad and the good that comes along with it, make sure to always cherish it. It'll bring you a life worth remembering.
Happy travels friends.
