There are people who want to travel. Then there are people who are wanderlusters. The wanderlusters are those whose life plans and goals involve learning about new cultures, seeing incredible scenery, and meeting people from all around the world. Here are 7 signs you're a broke college student suffering from wanderlust:
1. Plane Tickets
You spend all the money in your bank account on plane tickets. You save up all your babysitting money and your birthday money and your Christmas money, and as soon as you're $10 over the amount of the plane ticket, you get right on CheapTickets and type in your credit card number. You go to the mall with your friends and almost buy that cute dress, but resist because that money could be much better spent on a plane ticket to Austria. What this really means is that you value collecting experiences more than collecting possessions.
2. Study Abroad
You pick a school based on how many study abroad options they offer. You pick Augie because they give you $2,000 just to study abroad (or internships or research, but who uses it for anything but travel?). You ask your advisor at the FIRST meeting with him how soon you can start planning your first study abroad.
3. School Breaks
You try to plan trips for every break you have. You love your family and your home, but you also love to see the world. You plan an overseas trip for your fall break of freshman year, the first long break of college that most people spend with their family. You try to use every possible minute of break to see something new; you take the flight that lands the latest on Sunday, knowing you have class on Monday morning.
4. Life Goals
Your life goals include spending time in Cape Town, stepping foot on each of the seven continents, and going to every country in Europe. Life goals such as reaching six figures or having 5 children don't exist in your book. It's all about seeing as much of the world as possible.
5. Airports
Your favorite place in the whole world is the airport. You get jittery in the car on the way there. You can't wipe that goofy smile off your face when you're checking your bags. You can't stop staring at your passport and flipping its pages while you wait in line for security. You can't focus on your book at the gate even if you have 3 hours to wait until boarding (because you needed to get to the airport early because it's 4am and there might be long lines at security, right?). You almost jump out of your seat when they call Group 2 for boarding. You even love being at the airport when you're alone.
6. First Question- "Where are you from?"
When you meet someone for the first time, you don't ask how they are or what their name is, but where they're from. You want to know what their experiences were like in school and growing up and going to church and what their culture is like and how their perspectives on life are different from yours. You want to learn how other people around the world think and live.
7. Countdowns
You constantly have countdown apps counting down to the next time you're going to travel. Your friends always show you their countdowns to things like graduation or the Drake Concert or Lolla, but you only care about the 48 days until you hop on the next plane.
Big shoutout to my parents for fostering my love for travel and planting the seed at a very young age. I appreciate you and all you do for me.
