Why Wanderlust is 'Holding Onto Childhood'

The (grainy) picture above is 7-year-old me with my cousin Bertan, circa 1992 in Turkey. This is my first memory of going to Turkey/an international trip, and the first time I fell in love with travel. Here was a country (that my mom was born in) completely different from my own, but equally as awesome. I was fascinated in the differences between Turkey and the USA, and I still carry that fascination with each new place I go.

Most people are pretty supportive of me being a major traveler, but every now and again I run across someone who has a major disdain for it. Sometimes I get the cliche "Maybe you're a bit lost," or "Can't you be satisfied with staying in one place?" The most annoying question I've been asked is: "Are you just trying to hold onto adolescence/childhood?"

My answer to this is...well yeah, kinda.

Let me explain.

Many of us have become quite curmudgeon in our "old age." I'm 29, by the way, and you'd be surprised at how many of my peers say "UGHHHH. I'm going to be 30! I'm soooooo old." Wait really? Because I think if you said that exact proclamation to a 70 year old, you'd get laughed at. But we've been trained to believe the lie, haven't we? I digress...

In a sense traveling is "holding onto childhood." It's holding onto that sense of wonder children see the world with, daily. How invigorating, how enthralling to hold onto to those things that give us a passion for life!

I won't lie--it's addictive. Stepping off the plane into a foreign airport, with BIENVENUE or CIAO or  HOSGELDINIZ gets me every time right in the pit of my stomach. I love the feeling of whizzing through the border agents and being there--that space between the exit of the airport and the first sidewalk greeting you into a new country. This is my zone. In this space, I am welcomed by all possibilities:

• Learning tidbits of a new language. 
• Gawking at beautiful buildings.
• Learning new transit systems (wait, there are places where you don't need a car??)
• Keeping an open mind whilst becoming engrossed in a new culture. 
• Learning the traditions of the land. 
• Trying new foods/drinks. 
• Discussing politics/how Americans are viewed. 
• Hearing what locals have to say about how our news is reported vs. how their news is reported. 
• Learning about other religions. 
• Meeting people that have grown up outside of my cultural bubble, thus understanding different mindsets (a precursor for true peace between nations). 

Suddenly, you come to understand that having the mind of a child actually makes you more mature, grown-up, and open-minded. From travel comes wisdom. 

Sure, sometimes I "lust" after travel. Sometimes it can be a dangerous game of always leaving, never learning to be a happy with settling; but don't we all partake in that game in different ways? There are people that jump from lover to lover, or hobby to hobby...always moving, not ready to settle. The ultimate point is that settling cannot be forced upon anyone. Whether you are choosing to "settle in one place," or "settle down," it must ultimately be your choice to do so. If you want to travel the world for 50 years, DO IT! If you don't want to get married, don't! If you want to have 8 kids, have them! DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU, IT'S YOUR LIFE. 

Will you walk the path that's right for you, despite what others say?

So to the person who asked (with an attitude): "Are you just trying to hold onto adolescence/childhood by wanderlusting?" 

YES. I'm 29, I love to travel, I don't need to settle yet, AND I AM HAPPY. If that's hard to understand, I would suggest a little traveling to challenge that deeply engrained mindset of yours.

And with that, I'm off to Portland this week!