Finding the Magic of Wanderlust
***As you are reading this we are currently on a bus driving from GA to NYC in search of a little dose of wanderlust for ourselves. Stay tuned for lots of updates and stories. To see photos in real time follow me on Instagram as lk_hooper. This post was originally posted on The Duck and The Owl's blog for their Wander Theme Week as my first piece as a contributor. After packing up everything we would need for 2 months into our car we set out on what was supposed to be the journey of a lifetime. We drove from GA to FL on the first leg of our journey, camped on a beautiful beach far from the tourist and well, anyone, and woke up wet in the rain. I cried. We had just potentially ruined our lives.
It was never like this in the movies.People on road trips were free of burdens and worries and were always tan and had cool sunglasses. This was not what my story was looking like. After I put on my big girl panties, I threw out my Hollywood inspired expectations and we dried out; we spent the next 43 days living a life of magic and wanderlust. I eventually got tan and picked up some pink sunglasses from a street vendor in New York. We drove through the desert, had to glue every pair of shoes we owned back together, swam in an ash filled waterfall with snakes, learned to surf on the west coast, meet family members for the first time, ate like locals, swam with sea lions and ate a ton of sandwiches in our car: we had truly found our wanderlust.The feeling of waking up somewhere new everyday. The feeling of not knowing what the day would hold or where you were going next. Having no schedule or agenda. To stop and go a different direction. To just stay where you are because its magic there. To discover a secret. To be truly tired at the end of the day. To wake up outside and not know exactly where you are. To be lost. To have found a feeling you never want to let go of. To find a you that you want to be everyday, all day. To truly wander is an indescribable, impossible to replicate experience....But it is out there waiting to be found.
One of the humans greatest natural traits is the desire to experience wanderlust. It's why Columbus set out to sail the ocean blue. It's why Louis & Clarke ventured into the west. It's why ships were built. Why airlines are one of the most profitable industries in the world. People need to experience a place outside of their sights. It's why we all watched Into the Wild, Eat, Pray, Love and 127 Hours. We ached to be Romy, Michelle, Dorothy or Frodo. Not because they found their happy ending awaiting them at their destination, but because of the totally unplanned adventures that ensued on their way. They learned who they were, made true friends and discovered their purpose along the way.So, please go wander until you find your wanderlust. One way to find wanderlust is to expect nothing. Give yourself room to experience life. Get in the car and drive. No plans. No destination. Just go. The fear that wells up inside you when you actually picture yourself doing this: not having a place to stay, not knowing anyone, being lost, being stranded. That fear is the magic.When we face our fears, we are free. When we are free, we experience wanderlust.
Tell me about your experience with wanderlust. Was it magical or just an everyday ordinary that you wanted to live in forever. That, my friends, is the real magic.To read more about our magnificently haphazard yet magical road trip Click here. To be sure you get updates and more great stories and travel tips subscribe via email or RSS feed over on the right!
This post is a part of the National Blog Posting Month Challenge. You can see a list of more blogs participating in this challenge here and see a full list of my posts here.