What if I told you I would buy you a plane ticket to anywhere in the world? Most people, I think, would take my offer. But what would you do when you got there? How long would you want to stay? Where would you choose to stay? Would you want to keep moving or stay in one spot? There are so many different answers and even more questions to go with them.
The number of times I have heard people say that they want to travel the world and that they have "Wanderlust" is unbelievable. On the one hand, I guess it is understandable. But how many people do you know who live and die and never get to do those things?
I have always had a fascination with other parts of the world. It's intriguing to know that I could have been born anywhere, but I was born in America. So, considering that reality, I want to know what else is out there. Some people are skeptical about me achieving my goals for seeing the world, but that's usually because, at their age, they know how hard such goals are to accomplish. They know that money somehow or other controls you and the choices you make. Maybe they are right, but today, as an 18-year-old girl, I am satisfied with my exploratory mind set.
As of today, I have been to Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Holland, France and Ukraine. Now that may sound like a lot to you, or maybe you have traveled more than I have and that seems unimpressive. But to be truthful I have only really experienced Ukraine. Let me tell you why. Maybe I should mention that I only had layovers in France and Holland, (but my feet did touch their land, so I like to count it to sound cool). I went on a trips with my family to Canada and the Bahamas, but we only stayed in the resort areas (which doesn't really count). Finally, I went on short term missions trips to Puerto Rico, Mexico and Ukraine. Now don't get me wrong, vacations are nice and a blessing, and missions trips can truly make a difference in the world if done correctly.
My most recent trip, however, made my viewpoint change. I learned things that no Pinterest board could ever show me. I went back to Ukraine for a second time and started to see the difference between visiting a place and experiencing it for what it really is. I was able to move past the hype of travel and see what it is to live there. I saw what everyday life is for them. I got to walk through their daily routine. That is the difference between being a tourist and being able to see culture, language and the rawness of where you are. It's about the little things. I want to know their favorite foods, how to ride their forms of transportation, the taboos of their culture, their views on politics and religion. I want to understand why they don't smile as much when they walk down the streets. I want to understand what their struggles are and whether they are the same as mine.
Wanderlust to me is so much more than the pretty pictures you see in magazines, the word printed on your favorite t-shirt or that Pinterest board of destinations you dream of seeing. The word "wander" is not just ending up some place by accident and feeling adventurous. It is moving past all the things you know and digging into something new and unknown to you, such as what it's like to live in a different country on this planet.
