Like many of my peers, I have always wanted to “see the world.” I long to travel to New York, see countless Broadway shows, and eat my way through the city. I want to visit gorgeous European countries, go to museums, and learn about different cultures. I fantasize about jumping into oceans off of cliffs, “finding myself” while learning about others, and even gaining weight from the indulgences that other countries have to offer.
I frequently judge my own desire to travel, wondering if it’s selfish or purely logical. I begin to criticize myself for wanting more than what I have. I already have a wonderful life, a roof over my head, clean drinking water, a loving family, and the list goes on. Why should I be wishing for anything else? My family and I have gone to Florida many times and are lucky enough to call Door County, Wisconsin our second home. That’s already more traveling than the majority of the world's population will ever do. On the other hand, these amazing places are out there, so why shouldn’t I be able to visit them? All of us only have one life on this Earth, and we may as well try to see as much of it as possible.
Of course, I’ve found myself feeling very envious of my adventure-seeking, mission-trip-going, airplane-riding peers. I live in a town largely inhabited by the upper-middle class, meaning that luxurious vacations are a commonplace thing. If parents value travel, they will experience travel, and their children will too. For many reasons that don’t really matter, I’ve never been on an airplane. This used to bother me to no end, especially since one of my parents continually insists we drive the grueling 22 hours to Florida (I’m still extremely grateful for having the opportunities to go to Florida, though). As I have matured, I have pushed those feelings aside and replaced them with gratitude for what I have been able to do throughout my life so far.
The travel bug used to plague me nearly every day when I was 16, hormonal, and angsty, but now it’s more of a dull ache. Quite frankly, I’ve lost a lot of the wanderlust that used to drive me to look up airplane ticket prices during study hall. Basically, I wrote this article as a promise to myself. If you haven’t already noticed, I’ve been reinforcing the fact that I’m thankful for what I have and I’m not complaining about my life. I simply want to regain the desire to travel, view it as more of a realistic goal, and stop berating myself for being “selfish” and “ungrateful” because I want to travel.
Considering the privileges I am fortunate to have (I live in a developed country, I’m attending college, etc.), I should be confident in the fact that I’ll get to experience amazing places someday. Yes, it will take hard work and financial responsibility. But there’s a whole world out there, and I intend to see some pretty great parts of it. When that day does come, I’ll be the twenty-something girl running around at the airport, toting shiny new luggage, grinning ear to ear with excitement.
