Wanderlust - a strong desire to travel: wändərˌləst, noun

I saw a quote the other day that absolutely fascinated me.

"Once a year, go someplace you've never been before" - Dalai Lama

This really spoke to me in more ways than one. Yes, obviously it means location and I agree entirely with that. The world is way too big not explore, and our lives are way too short to be complacent all the time. So yes I encourage everyone for this new year to desire more wanderlust in your life go outside of your comfort zone. After all, that is where life begins, where you are not comfortable thus equaling new experiences.

Another translation that came to mind reading Dalai Lama's quote, is doing new things. When you travel to new places, I can almost guarantee you will not be doing the same thing that you do in your daily routine of your life. That would not make any sense whatsoever to try and replicate what you know in new places. It is our human instinct to adjust and adapt to new places, this is simply called survival. So when you experience life in this new way, attempting different activities, emotions, and phenonmenons, have an open mind and experince life with a much larger palate.

So what if you can not travel? Don't have the time, resources, money, or extreme desire to go tour these new places? I know I do not have the money to go out to lets say California or New York, and I am a busy college student constantly having to worry about my classes. I barely have enough time to do what I want as it is sometimes and it is overwhelming. Go back to the definition of wanderlust, you can travel within your daily life. Whether it be talking to someone you wouldn't normally talk to, eating a new food at a new resturant, taking a different route back home or to work, volunteering, taking up a hobby you have always found interesting, the opportunities for new possiblities are endless, and you never know where they might take you. Sometimes you have to get lost to be found.

For those lucky enough to have the time and opportunities to travel, jump on it. Do not hesitate, say yes and just do it. One day we may be to old or not physically able to experience new opportunities. You do not want to look back years from now and think about all the opportunities you had to truly experience brand new adventures, but you let them pass by as you went through your day, simply staying in the black and white. You can do better than that and you deserve more.

So what is stopping you? Why not go explore? Experience wanderlust.