Wanderlust has struck again. Honestly, I'm surprised it took as long as it did to manifest this time around, but with as busy as I've been this year it's understandable.
It started out like it usually does: with an article about some Travel destination. After reading said article, I start looking up cheap vacation packages on Groupon. Then I start looking at apartments for sale in Dublin and possibly read some Expat blogs. This all ends with me letting out some wistful sighs and fantasizing about a dreamy, European future before reality hits me and I go back to my sad, little life.
Is my life really that sad? No, it honestly isn't. In fact, even with all the ups and downs, life is pretty great for me. But, I long to be a traveling adventurer.
While there's nothing wrong with domestic travel - in fact, I love it immensely - I long for slow travel to other countries. I've been to a total of four countries if you count the one I already live in, but it's just not nearly enough for me. I want to see them all! I will make it to many of them before I die, but just like a toddler with a toy they desperately want, it's hard to wait.
Is my life really that sad? No, it honestly isn't. In fact, even with all the ups and downs, life is pretty great for me. But, I long to be a traveling adventurer.
| The countries I've been to: not nearly enough. |
While there's nothing wrong with domestic travel - in fact, I love it immensely - I long for slow travel to other countries. I've been to a total of four countries if you count the one I already live in, but it's just not nearly enough for me. I want to see them all! I will make it to many of them before I die, but just like a toddler with a toy they desperately want, it's hard to wait.
| The states in the U.S. I've been to: I need to get to the coast apparently. |
Traveling, in general, gives my life a lot of meaning and purpose, and to that end, I will have had a decent traveling year by the time 2018 is over. This year I spent plenty of time in the two states easily accessible to me: Nebraska, the state I live in, and Iowa, home of my beloved Iowa Mountains and right next door to my city. I also got to spend time in Missouri earlier in the year; South Dakota during the second leg of vacation in June; and New Orleans, Louisiana, on the last part of my vacation, a place I have never been to. While I didn't get to spend as much time exploring New Orleans as I wanted, I still got to have the experience and that was pretty cool.
Luckily, I have a few solo trips planned yet for this year that will curb some Wanderlust while checking a couple of destinations off my bucket list. In October, I'll be taking a trip to Portland to see a dear friend for a long weekend. I've always wanted to go to Portland, and I've yet to actually see either coast of the United States, so that will be a bonus as well. The weekend after that, I fly out to Washington, D.C. for a women's event that I'm looking forward to. D.C. is another place I've never been to but it also means I will have finally gone to the East Coast as well. So, in the span of two weekends, I will have finally visited both the West and East Coasts of the United States while visiting two cities I've never been to.
Hopefully, my upcoming trips will help my wanderlust feelings until I can make it out of the country again. Either way, I'm going to have a great time and I'll definitely be sharing the experiences with you.
How about you? Where have you traveled this year? Where would you like to travel?
Hopefully, my upcoming trips will help my wanderlust feelings until I can make it out of the country again. Either way, I'm going to have a great time and I'll definitely be sharing the experiences with you.
How about you? Where have you traveled this year? Where would you like to travel?
