Wednesday, April 16, 2014

I've Got Some Sort of Bug

I'm coming down with something. Forget spring fever- I've caught a serious case of wanderlust. 
We went to lunch with one of our old family friends while we were in Pittsburgh, and she has a daughter, McKenna, who is just a few years older than me. When we were little she used to cut out paper dolls for me and design clothes for them. I haven't really kept in touch with her, but my mom still talks with her mom. When we went to lunch, her mom told us all about McKenna's adventures. She has been all over Europe. Since she left for college she's hardly come home for more than a couple days at a time. She had connections and took chances and basically spent all of her summers over in Europe, either as a farm hand in Sweden or on a scholarship in Scandinavia or something else equally awesome. Hearing all of these stories of McKenna's travels fascinated me. I caught a wanderlust bug so bad it's practically physically painful. My heart hurts I want to travel so bad.

When we got back to our hotel after lunch, I grabbed my laptop and facebooked McKenna on the pool deck while my little sibs swam. I messaged her and asked her about how she pulled off all of her gallivanting through Europe. I'm starting a job hunt for something on campus so I can start saving for gallivants of my own. Thank goodness I'm a senior because instead of sitting around dreaming of future excursions, I can start to make some of them a reality! England here I come! (and spain and germany and france and iceland and sweden and all the rest of europe!)

I don't want to go when I'm old and refined and sophisticated. I want to go now, while I'm young and crazy and before adult reality really sets in. I want to pack myself a bag and travel all over the world, eat greasy, overpriced food, and take moody, colorful pictures. I want to be well traveled and know bits and pieces of a dozen different languages. I want to have friends and connections all over the world. I want to learn about different people and cultures and just be a well traveled, educated, interesting young woman. I want to stay in cheap, cramped hotels and ride smelly, crowded buses and come home with wild, adventurous tales. I want to go now while running around the city all day sounds fun and I'm just adventurous enough to fly by the seat of my pants rather than make solid plans. I want to be crazy enough to make friends with strangers and not obligated or grown up enough to need to plan 3 months in advance. I want to be pinching pennies and chasing dreams and building stories. I just want to go.

Sincerely, mad

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