Renowned author Jane Austen once said, "If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad." I have been thinking about this quote a lot lately, and it has played a role in influencing my own mindset.
Austen's thoughts have triggered my own mind to reflect back on my personal urge to explore. I know that I have the need within myself to break the mold and find my own adventures. To try new things, meet new people, to have the experiences of a lifetime. I want to make my own happiness.
The term "wanderlust" means "to have a strong desire or urge to wander or travel and explore the world." In other words, the craving to search and discover outside of one’s comfort zone.
I know that I am not the only one who carries the wanderlust trait. Many do but might find themselves suppressing it because of routines in their lives that they have gotten caught up in. Work, school, and other little details that come with life tend to distract us from what we really want to search for.
So, how does one acknowledge such a desire to break out of the cycle?
To give in to the wanderlust mentality, you have to understand that nothing has to be permanent. You might feel trapped in your current situation, but you have the power to change anything that you want to. If you can change your hair, clothes, jobs, and relationships, why not change your life?
It does not take much for the enclosure of four walls to feel like a trap. In the same regard, it does not take much effort to knock them down either.
Not everything has to feel binding, or like an obligation. There is always opportunity to pursue the unknown and delve into something so much deeper. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Being fearless is a quality that goes hand-in-hand with the feeling of wanderlust. Instead of dreading anything that could go awry in your adventures, think about every amazing opportunity that you can seize.
Imagine the possibilities that lie within taking chances and journeying where you feel the biggest pull. Gravitate toward the places that you know that you need to be, and find a way to get there. Even when it seems like an impossible concept, you will never truly know until you try.
Be spontaneous. Dare to be bold. Venture out into what you do not know in this vast world because you never know what you might find.