Friday, January 18, 2013

saving my life: wanderlust.

{photo by Matt Ducklo}

On Wednesday, I confessed Jordan and I often feel a little bit left behind here in Tallahassee, despite our current contentment in our jobs and with our home. As a result, I often find myself daydreaming of somewhere else, and never do I daydream more than on my morning walks, as I glance inside strangers' windows (is this odd?) and breathe in fresh air.

Everything takes me back somewhere else. Foggy mornings remind me of our trip to San Francisco, and I find myself wondering what it might be like to walk the hilly paths of that city instead of my own every morning. Homes with window boxes take me back to the three weeks we spent studying abroad in Italy; honking horns from faraway streets remind me of New York. Yellow leaves soaked with dew are reminiscent of Boston, and cold wooden floors scream Chicago. 

Despite my contentment with my surroundings, I am a constant dreamer, and the only thing that seems to satiate my wanderlust is travel. Thankfully, I married someone who feels the same way. 

Who knows where the next few years could take us? Maybe we'll move, get new jobs, have a baby. I don't really know. But I'm grateful that while our life has us in Tallahassee at jobs we enjoy and with people we love, I can still a dream a little. And when the dreaming isn't quite enough, we can put gas in my car. We can buy an airplane ticket or two. And we can find ourselves in Atlanta or Charleston or Savannah or San Francisco or Boston or New York or New Orleans. 

It's a gift to be able to travel, and this weekend, I'm heading to Seaside for an annual vacation with some friends in the hope my wanderlust will be temporarily satisfied. Nothing seems to work much better than getting out and exploring new places. Perhaps walking new trails this weekend will save my life, like it has so many times before.

3 comments:

Erin said...

My husband and I are planning a trip to Europe this summer and are so excited about it. A few nights ago we discovered the finances might be a bit more difficult than we thought, but we decided we'd have to sacrifice in other ways because planning for this trip is saving our lives in so many ways right now. We need to adventure and we need something so big to look forward to. (PS--we're planning on going to Italy, so I'd love to hear of your experiences there!)

Sabrina said...

Continue to enjoy your travels:) Seeing new things will always enhance your life!

Rachael L. Anderson said...

I know exactly what you mean bc I feel the same way. I think it's because I never lived away from home (except in college). Now I want to travel everywhere! I wish it weren't so expensive. :-(