Wanderlust n. – is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.
Chances are if you come to visit this site, you’ve tasted a little bit of the wanderlust that plagues this family.
We make it roughly one day at home before we are itching to get out the door. And while we been accused of having an insatiably restless spirit, of which we agree, we’ve learned to embrace rather than fight this part of who we are.
People have tossed the term at us as though it was a bad habit we needed to be healed from, as though all our hobbies were distractions from what was really important. Honesty, some days I believe them.
But most days I know this restlessness leads us towards more life, not less. More unity, more of God, more joy. Not less.
Wanderlust gives us just enough angst to question the status quo and do something’s about it. We do not despair… Most days.
Wanderlust leads us to new places which in turn gives us new eyes to the world around us.
See, I think God made it that way. He wove in the arms of every tree and the lap of every mountain both adversity and glory. Both challenge and victory.
And we were designed for such things.
And so I find myself sitting here, in the middle of a grassy field, overlooking Echo Lake in the Desolation Wilderness, writing to you. I am also killing time as my husband finishes running the 35 mile segment of the Tahoe Rim Trail from Barkers Pass to Echo Lake. By “killing time I mean we’ve done some of this:
And then some of this:
Followed by this:
In a sense, Chris has been running home to us all day. I do not resent him this time [though maybe the blue lakes he is jumping in all day]. We understand that adventure in the outdoors defines a part of each of us as individuals, and it therefore defines a part of our family. We not only support these “whims” but champion them in each other’s lives.
We seek to find and support that which makes us come most alive. In all aspects of life.
Do you have a long list of “should have, would have, could haves”? Is there a point where you are going to stop dreaming and take action?
If, like us, you are afflicted by this condition, how to you balance it with the demands of work, school, family, etc?? Do we find balance or is balance a joke when it comes to truly living?
I currently am deeply afflicted, and I’m not balancing things well!! I am exhausted, and frustrated, claustrophobic, and itchy to get out, at the same time craving for things to slow down. I need more adventures to revitalize, and yet that helps and hinders, both! But at least I guess I’m not the only one!
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Thoughtful post. We embraced our wanderlust whole-heartedly when our kids were little. It’s been so trick with teens. They have more commitments at home and are more anxious to spend time at home than with us, even if we’re planning cool adventures. We are trying to find balance by keeping everyone happy – work, friends, commitments, etc., but yeah, our wanderlust is suffering a bit.
I so agree. Our oldest is verging on age 10 and even things such as hikes are starting to become a battle I didn’t foresee, not because she doesn’t like hiking or skiing, but because she wants to do it with friends… Honestly, I think as they get older it only becomes more difficult!