When asked what your future plans are, most would say the usual/generic answer: to settle down, get married, start a family and live happily ever after (cue Disney princess-themed music). But for me...not so much. Yes obviously I would like all those wonderful things, but there is one thing I want to do first, and that, my friends, is travel the world.
The literal definition of the term "wanderlust" states it as an urge to wander or travel. Be it just to take a mini-road trip within your own state or travel to a completely different country, it is just passion to see the world. There are so many different sights and cultures to experience in the huge world we live in, so why not see it all? Especially growing up in a small town, I always was interested in watching videos or shows telling about different places. The colorful faith of India, the busy streets of NYC, the posh architectures of the UK and so many more. Things so "out of the norm" from Ohio that I just cannot wait to experience it all.
But with college tuition costs and life expenses, it can be quite difficult to find the means to fund these travels.The true meaning of wanderlust can be any travel, it just is a person wanting to live. As a college student myself on a tight budget, I take any opportunity I can to fulfill the exploration within me. Be it to checking out the old abandoned Molly Start Asylum right in our town, to taking a two-hour road trip to Pittsburgh for a girls' weekend. It doesn't matter how long or how far you go, all that matters is that you fully experience it.
When I was 13, our high school marching band took a trip to NYC for a few days. It was the first time I had ever been to a big city or really "traveled," and boy was I in for a shock. It all can be a bit overwhelming at first, but within moments, I was in love. The bright lights, the hustle and bustle and just the multitude of different things compacted into one city. From that moment on, I knew I needed to do two things: one day move to NYC for my career and secondly to travel and experience as much as possible.
Wanderlust is so much more than to simply travel. Most would assume to travel is to plan an expensive vacation at a resort, when it isn't that at all. Wanderlust is the urge to explore the world and experience it to the fullest. We are young, are we not supposed to enjoy life to the fullest now and see all there is to see in the big world before it's time to settle down? Don't just exist: live.