One of my favorite things to do is travel. At the beginning, it’s like an adrenaline rush, and then I get to my destination and I am filled with joy because I get to experience a new place and all of the things it has to offer.

See, before I started going new places, I always felt like my heart could only hold enough love for my two favorite places in the world, Chicago and Washington D.C. But then, when I started having the opportunity to travel a little more often, I realized that every single new place I went would change my original thought. Much to my surprise, it was like in every city, or even small town I got to venture to, I left a small piece of my heart there.

Wanderlust is a term that is defined as “a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.” That term is seen a lot in books, quotes, and other things of the sort. When I first came across this term, I didn’t really think that it was something I would ever get to feel. Traveling was cool, but not something that I got to do very often. Now that I do travel a bit more, and also get the opportunity to go on small adventures, I definitely know what it feels like to experience wanderlust. Whenever I feel myself getting stressed or upset about something, my first instinct is to boot up my computer and start looking at plane tickets, or read about interesting destinations around the world. Thinking about going to new places gives me a sense of tranquility and happiness, even if it’s only for a little bit. I think it is because the thought of adventure is something so exciting, and even a bit mysterious. There are only so many things you can learn about a place when reading about it or looking at pictures. When you finally get to experience that place, it’s another adventure in itself, finding all of the small things that make it special.

I guess this article is kind of a written contract for myself, to promise myself that while I am still in college and still able to, that I will travel as much as I possibly can. Go and explore, get lost even. A bit of spontaneity is never a bad thing, and definitely something that I should experience more often.

So, here’s to the future. A future of endless possibilities and new adventures. I am ready to put the world in my pocket and run, run without looking back. My wanderlust eyes and wild heart are ready.