Growing up, I could never settle with staying settled. I always looked forward to the next big adventure, the next time I could go off in to the great wide somewhere and explore new places. I find the thrill of the plane taking off, coupled with the fear of not knowing exactly what to expect, to be nearly too much to contain by the time it lands again. I don't mind standing in line at customs- because at the end I will get a new stamp in the pages of my passport. I am the one who often finds herself searching prices for plane tickets and wondering if I can justify the expense- just so I can go on another trip in to the exciting unknown. I am a wanderer.

I have had the grand privilege of traveling to several countries in Europe, Asia, and almost half of the States in America. You could say that I classify myself as a wanderlust, that I've caught the travel bug- and you would be 100% right. However, as I grow older and the list of places that I have traveled to gets longer, the reason for the wandering changes. In the beginning, I was the wide-eyed, free spirited wanderer just seeking an adventure outside the monotonous routines of daily life. Now, I wander for the renewal of my heart and soul.

Although I am a wanderer, I do not wander aimlessly. Wherever I go, I have learned to always be aware of the lives around me. It is far too easy to let daily life become ordinary. I find that with each new place I travel, I find a new appreciation for the extraordinary lives of those who consider theirs to be ordinary. Culture is an amazing thing. In discovering and experiencing a different way of life, you learn to appreciate your own. You learn to love the similarities, and respect the differences. You learn to embrace diversity. You stand in awe of the rich history that made that way of life so special. Sitting in a classroom learning about countries and their history is one thing; living, breathing, and immersing yourself in to that country and history is entirely another amazing entity of its own. Almost everyone anywhere in the world considers things in their lives to be ordinary. When you discover something outside of your ordinary, it becomes extraordinary. In returning home, you bring back with you the realization that their lives, and your life, are anything but ordinary. I wander because I never want to stop seeing life as something extraordinary.

Although I do not wander to get lost, I wander to lose myself for a while. I don't think people really realize just how big the world is until they begin to explore it. As I wander more, I realize that, comparatively, I am such a small piece of the grand design- almost insignificant to its glory at best. As I've gazed at views that literally took my breath away, my mind starts racing down paths that I can't explain. Anxiety, euphoria, calmness, fear, excitement all at the exact same time... the list of butterflies in my stomach continues to grow. The world is SO big, and I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't actively try to see as much of it as I can. Each time I wander, l feel myself being put back together- and I didn't even know a part of me was missing. I find pieces of my heart within each discovery of humanity, or God's creation. With every sunset I look upon in a different land, that next sunrise brings new life to my body in more ways than one. I wander to feel a sense of wholeness.

Sometimes, we come across feelings of which we cannot find the words to explain. With each new adventure, I find those feelings in the smallest of wonders. We so often find wonder in the next big thing- the bigger the better. While I see traveling to be a big deal, the big adventure lies within the joys of passing moments. Watching a child hand money to the homeless man on the side of the street... the baker throwing pieces of pastry to the birds... the father crying in thankfulness that he worked hard enough to feed his family... the mother who weeps in gratefulness over the house she has that is the size of my shed... those are the moments that I can never find the words to explain. Adventure begs the wanderer to remember as much as they can. I wander to find wonder in the little things.

Some may never desire to wander, other may never stop wandering. If you are like me, your heart will never stop wondering about where it will wander to next. There is something so captivating about wandering, and I can't wait to see what horizons lie ahead for me. There is a great purpose within the lessons learned from wandering, and I have only just begun to scratch the surface. It's alright though, I have the rest of my life to wander more. I am, and will always be- a wanderer.