Wanderlust

Sojourn, trip, journey.  Travel, wander, rove, roam.  Wanderlust – a desire to travel. The definition in its simplest form, in my opinion. Yet, it means much more to me and to many people out there. It is more than a desire – it’s a longing, an ache, a part of oneself that must be sated.  When not travelling I often experience what in German is called “fernweh” or far-sickness. I find this feeling even stronger than wanderlust. It comes in waves often lasting for days. I feel lost at home and the familiar surroundings around me, as if I didn’t fully belong. Other times it’s for a few hours or a day, gone a suddenly as it came yet its impact lingering in my heart, in my soul. That’s the strongest of my ‘travel’ feelings. When I tell others I want to go away during my bouts of fernweh I am never certain if they understand the depths of yearning. As for wanderlust,  it is the constant. Always there, an ever-present gentle hand guiding me. That part of me that craves new adventures, new sights and experiences is spurred on by that continual feeling of wanderlust. Even just the simple idea of being in another location is lit by wanderlust.  I gladly embrace it.