Wanderlust + Remembering to Enjoy the Little Moments

I have a major case of wanderlust. This is no secret; if you know me at all, you’ll know I’m always talking about wanting to go here or there. I’ve done a fair bit of traveling - I’ve seen quite a bit of Canada and the States, and I went to France when I was 17. I know I’m lucky, and feel blessed to have done that much traveling. But…all those trips were a long time ago, and I just want to go somewhere NOW.

I’d pack a bag and be out of here tomorrow if I could. Part of it is a desire to escape the monotony of my every day life, and part of it is because there’s so much I want to see and do. It may sound ridiculous, but I feel these adventures, these far-flung places calling to my soul, and it’s becoming as loud as a siren call. 

Most of my friends are married and/or have kids, so they can’t take off for a couple weeks on an adventure. My childhood best friend, K, is recently single, and since I just found this out (we’re horrible at keeping in touch), my travel-bug-fueled brain started spinning with ideas…what if we could travel together? We’ve been friends for 25 years, but never traveled farther than a winter festival 3 hours away when we were in our teens.

I mentioned it to her, and she said she’d love to. *insert me doing a Snoopy-like happy dance* We talked about it via email at first, and then in person this past Monday when we spent the day together on the beach. The only real issue is money, which has always been one of the main things preventing me from traveling. I’m determined it’s going to happen, though. Even though our top destination choices differ (mine are Ireland, England, and Scotland, hers are Greece and Italy), we’re willing to compromise and we’re each interested in each other’s top choices. Basically if I get to go SOMEWHERE on my list, even if it’s not in my top 3, I’ll be happy.

In the 10 or so hours we spent together, we talked non-stop about a lot of things…depression, anxiety, feeling stuck, work, travel, friends, love. Our lives and personalities are very similar, and we both admitted to feeling very stuck lately. I said I know travel won’t solve that problem, but it feels like a step. Something different, something new, something amazing. I’ve been restless, and I hate this feeling of being stuck and unhappy, and having nothing to look forward to because every day is the same.

I’ve always been incredibly grateful for everything I have, and I take pleasure in small things, but I know I need to do that even more - find the positive in every situation - or I’m going to drive myself crazy. I want to travel, and I’m going to make it happen, but until it does happen, I need to find adventures in every day things. Find more things to smile and laugh about, small wonders that take my breath away.

Some of my favourite recent moments:

~Going to the movies with my sister

~Sitting in my city’s rose garden for a couple hours, looking at the flowers, and reading.

~Going for lunch with my mum to our favourite restaurant

~A day at the beach with an old friend, talking and laughing and being silly

~Swimming in Lake Ontario (this is an accomplishment for me because I’m afraid of open water, and we went out pretty far)

~Having a PVR for the first time ever and being able to record things when I’m not home, or tape movies I want to watch later

~Discovering that eating healthier makes me feel better about myself

~When my 4-year-old nephew (aka my best buddy) told me I look ‘handsome’ after he played with my hair

~Actually having more than a few dollars in my bank account for once (even though it’s not much and won’t last long, it’s still a good feeling!)

So, yes, I have a wicked case of wanderlust. I’d be willing to max out my credit card and deal with even more debt if it meant leaving tomorrow. But since I can’t leave tomorrow, or next week, or probably even this year, I’m going to train my brain to think it’s happening. I’m going to look forward to it and plan for it, but I’m also going to make sure to enjoy little moments, little accomplishments, and focus on things that make me happy, rather than all the crap that seems to pile up. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, so maybe the reason I haven’t traveled yet is because it’s not the right time, it wouldn’t have been with the right person, and when it does happen, it’ll be EPIC. 

  

Do you have wanderlust? Where do you want to go most? What do you want to see? Where have you been? Who would you love to travel with? What are some small moments you’ve enjoyed lately?

Are you on Pinterest? Feel free to check out my Wanderlust, Places to Go/Things to Do, and Wishlist boards and dream with me. ;-)

 

 

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