Wanderwhat?

Wanderlust (noun) - a strong desire to travel.

It's a word countless travelers identify with. Personally, I don't care for the word "wanderlust" itself because it sounds a little too forced for my liking, but the fact of the matter is it is spot on with my feelings towards adventure. Whether at work, home, the gym, anywhere, I am always craving the next travel destination.

The more I think about the word, the more I see it. "Wanderlust." You see it on posters, stickers, Twitter bios, everywhere. People even have it tattooed on them! So why the fascination with this identifying word? Is it to sound hip and cool, identify yourself amongst others, or to feel connected with those sharing your similar interests?

When I think about the word wanderlust it puts me off. Instead of simply retaining this not-so-positive outlook towards a word that encompasses every aspect of what I'm so passionate about, I decided to do a bit of reflecting on this within myself. Here is what I found...

Get beyond the word wanderlust and dig into it's meaning...not the "definition," but the meaning. What does it mean to you? For me I think about two things: possibilities and authenticity.

There's no limit to travel, and even if you've been everywhere, you can still go back. Cliche as it may sound, in terms of travel (to a true wanderlust), the possibilities are truly endless. You can never stop exploring. Not only that, but you can do it anywhere. Yes, anywhere. Ever been to Finland? How about Maine? What about that funky little restaurant in the next town over? Make travel happen even when you think it's not possible. It's all about being creative and making the most with what you've got to work with.

The next thing that comes to mind when I think about what wanderlust means to me is authenticity. How many travel sites, blogs, or profiles do you see where you could swear you've seen the same content, pictures, or sites elsewhere? In 2017 alone it seemed like everyone and their dog went to Machu Picchu. Now don't get me wrong, it is definitely on my list but I saw the same picture over and over again. Make your experience unique. No other person out there sees their surroundings the same way as anyone else, so why not showcase your perspective to the world!? There are no rules or guideline to having a one-of-a-kind experience, so just do you and

Just wing it

-C