When you grow up in a small family, in a small house, and inside a smaller town, you tend to accumulate big dreams. A lot of these dreams consist of moving out of that house and town, leaving behind the “little” to make room for the “big” world. It’s a mix of nostalgia, hearing parents talk about all the trips they’ve taken before having kids. It also comes from jealousy, being one of those few kids who never went to Disneyland. But, it also stems from wanderlust, that magical term that everyone talks about.

Wanderlust is defined as “a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about." My need for travel isn’t too outrageous; I’m not planning an 80-day trip around the world, or ever expect to visit every country. No, my wander stems from where I’m from.

Living in Michigan my whole life, I have been able to see all four seasons of weather. I’ve been able to play in the snow, watch trees and flowers bloom in spring. In the summer I’ve traveled to Lake Michigan countless times, and in the fall, I can hear the football games from my house, as I played in the leaves in my front yard.

My perspective is from living “out in the country” my whole life. This is also a girl who has only traveled to one other country, Canada, and only as far as Washington D.C.

This state and these trips have encouraged me to discover life in every place I visit. This means to try new foods, discover new places, and that I really don’t have to go far to feel like you are in a new place.

We have all probably made a joke at some point about packing our bags and getting away from where we are, but how many of us actually do it? I’m not saying you need to plan a full two weeks vacation in a five star hotel in Hawaii, but it could be something you work up to one day.

Instead, start small. Go out to your local park and find some trails to explore. If you’re not comfortable by yourself, bring your dog, kids, a friend or significant other. Talk, whether it is to yourself or to whom you brought with you. After your small walk and talk, reflect by yourself later on how it felt. Was it nice to get out of the house for a moment? Was it nice to catch up with your kids or friend? Or at least do you feel better about giving attention to your pet or partner? It might take a few tries, but in the end I feel like it would be worth it.

I like to take new roads whenever I can. I gain perspective of those around me by sightseeing different places, all while finding my way home. I’ve tested out local parks and trails when the trail in my backyard isn’t feeling like enough escape. I go to local coffee shops, pick out different restaurants that I haven’t been to before. If I do go somewhere that I have been before, I try to find a new way to it, or make a new choice while there.

You don’t have to go far for a vacation. You could find a local campground; take a night in a nice hotel. Maybe try your town’s museum, or explore the shop you always pass and always have an excuse for to not go in. You never know whom you are going to meet, what you might find or learn. Real travel can be so expensive that finding an alternative like these can help take off the edge.

My wanderlust may not seem as strong as others, but for me, just that little bit of getaway is enough to satisfy me for now. One day I would love to save money for trips I’ve stored away in my head, but local travel and local wander is what keeps me open and aware to this world around me. It keeps me guessing at what’s in store for when I do take flight.