Wanderlust

Ever since I was a little girl I have been obsessed with travelling. When the teacher at primary school asked us what we wanted to do when we grew up I would get some funny looks from the want to be police men and rock stars for saying 'I want to see the world' and teachers would always claim that I had misunderstood the question. The reality was that I wasn't confused or unsure, I've just always known that my career has been optional, what is definite is that what I do with my life has to somehow tie into my need to see and experience everything. Now that isn't to say that I look down on anyone who doesn't have the same need to explore that I do or the people who would rather have a relaxed life with a more consistent schedule, it's just that way of living has never really interested me. One place is just too small for the dreams I have in my head...

My Nana has always said that I get my wanderlust from her; like me, the she can't stand to be in the same place for more than a month or two, and the idea of being stuck in the same place forever makes her feel ill. She's been travelling since my mum was young and I've rarely seen her stay home for more than four months at a time, I'd be surprised if she hasn't seen every part of the world possible by the time she's 70, and even then I know she won't be satisfied. People always joke that I was born with a suitcase, I went on my first holiday when I was 6 months old and ,according to my mum,  I was the only baby who didn't make a sound on the plane! My favourite memories are of holidays, there's just something about being far away from home, and all of the problems there that makes me immeasurably happy.

But this need to see everything isn't always as happy as this. It means that my automatic response to even the smallest problem in life is to run, to run until my feet don't touch the ground and to not turn back until the problem is gone. The amount of times I've gone as far as to look for a plane ticket to nowhere is unreal! It means that when I'm home, I never quite feel right, like I'm trapped. Home isn't home to me anymore, I feel more out of place here than I do in a country where I can't even speak the common tongue.  I guess I just wasn't born for life in one corner, the whole world is my home.

For as long as I've understood the options I have for my future, I've known that the first chance I have I'm going to be running away as far as I can and staying there until I'm dragged home by some commitment or other. I've been counting down the days until then for as long as I can remember, with the promise that I will see as much of the world as possible in that short space of time. I want to see the world, experience other cultures and help as many people as I can along the way.

Whether it's backpacking around Thailand, road-tripping through America or building orphanages in Africa; I just want to leave my mark on the world, and learn some things along the way...