Wanderlust is the intense feeling of needing to get away. An urge for the unexpected, the adventurous. Wanderlust has been a guiding force for me, and it’s led me all over the world, mostly for study, but also for personal growth. Kind of like Eat.Pray.Love, but without all of the yoga.

Sometimes we get caught up in the past that we don’t fully realize what our present fully encompasses. We linger on the “what ifs” and our mind rewrites history into something that sustains us. Oftentimes the reality is far less polished, and not nearly as sustinent as we’ve allowed ourselves to believe.

I’ve learned wanderlust isn’t just about places and far off destinations. Sometimes we get the urge to do something new, something different, something off the beaten path in our normal day to day life. Talking to a new person, going to a new restaurant. Sometimes all it takes is a shift in perspective and there we are, dialing in to our wanderlust, indulging in the adventure our system craves.

Travel has always been about learning. New flavors, new adventures, new experiences. Every trip outside of our door has the possibility for endless education, it’s just how and what we learn that differs. Sometimes all you need is a weekend of disconnecting to realize how dialed in you were, and sometimes you need a a week totally removed from it all before things line up.

Much like love, wanderlust comes in all shapes and sizes, you just have to be open to it, know when to recognize it, and know when to seize the opportunity.

Photos courtesy Kristin Booker for Giafrese