The other day, a little Facebook notification popped up on the bottom of my computer screen saying, “You have 5 unopened saves.”

Five unopened saves… oh, right, all the pictures I’d flagged so that I could circle back and look at them again. I opened my Facebook profile, clicked on the “Saved” tab, and was startled to meet the following spread:

…and so on.

Needless to say, it was a little more than “5 unopened saves.”

Not only that, but I was struck by the fact that every single one of them was some sort of travel/destination photo from UNILAD Adventure: scenic camping in Colorado, vast Canadian mountainscapes, lush Icelandic canyons, autumnal English lakes, and more.

What in the world is my subconscious Facebook mind trying to tell me?

I don’t know if it’s my age, glaring curiosity, or the fact that my current abode is a tiny dorm room in the middle of midwest America. At any rate, something is giving me a serious case of wanderlust. As unrealistic as it is at this point in my non-financially-independent life, I just want to drop everything and go – somewhere, anywhere, different and with adventure in store.

I want to find hidden alcoves and chase waterfalls, taste new flavors, and listen to new birds sing. I want to climb to the tops of cloud-piercing mountains and peer over mosaics of treetops. I want to go everywhere I’ve only seen in photos and then take some pictures of my own to keep. I want to discover; I want to wander.

Something also tells me I’m not the only one who feels this way. If you’re like me – curious and excited about what’s out there, but (hopefully only temporarily) cursed with shallow pockets – know that you’re not alone. Wanderlust seems to have swept the young adult population off its feet, fueled by captivating photos and travel stories in our social media feeds.

A recent infographic created by Internet Marketing, Inc. displays the travel trends among today’s young adults. The graphic includes some statistics that, quite honestly, don’t surprise me:

1. Since 2015, mobile searches related to travel increased by 43%1,

2. 75% of surveyed young adults wish to travel abroad (international) “as much as possible” 1,

3. And finally, 87% of these young adults look to Facebook for travel inspiration1.

So what do these numbers mean?

In basic terms, wanderlust is on the rise. Increasing numbers of young adults want to travel, and we want to travel far. Studies indicate that this phenomenon is largely influenced by our generation’s world-wide online connectivity; we access travel sites and social media accounts more frequently than ever. With all their tantalizing photos, media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make it so easy for wanderlust cravings to grow – the more we see, and the more frequently we see it, the more we want to explore!

For now, I’ll just keep scrolling through that “Saved” page full of promising adventures. One day – if I’m lucky – I’ll turn all that wondering into some real wandering.

1 www.internetmarketinginc.com/blog/millennial-travel-trends/.