Wanderlust: the strong longing for or impulse toward wandering. Oh yes, I got me some of that going on.
What better way to kick-off this blog than by starting from the beginning. The turning point in my life that created the travel junkie that stands…well, sits…before you. It was in my second year of undergrad at Michigan State when I learned about the Mass Media in the UK Study Abroad Program. A program that would allow me to earn college credit while studying in the United Kingdom for about two months in the summer.
Up until then, I hadn’t done much traveling and, other than one day-trip to Mexico that doesn’t count because I was a kid, I had never spent time outside of the U.S. This short program in an English speaking country sounded like a perfect fit for an unseasoned co-ed like myself. (Shout out to my amazing parents for being the financial backers of this endeavor!)
The whole experience was exciting and enlightening but never overwhelming. I spent the majority of the program in London, England with shorter trips to Endinburgh, Scotland and Cardiff, Wales. I also took a weekend excursion to Rome, Italy with my good friend and fellow novice-traveler Sam. I’ll get a post dedicated to my study abroad experience up soon.
Since then, I’ve done as much traveling as I could squeeze in around completing my degree, cheerleading and starting a career. I’ve taken a few trips abroad but mostly stayed within the United States. (But more on that later.)
Studying abroad showed me the amazing world beyond small-town USA and shattered any apprehensions I had about traveling to foreign places. It gave me my strange love of sitting in an airport, riding a train or wandering the streets of a city, map in hand. The feeling that all things lie ahead and anything behind no longer exists.
Every day, I fight the desire to hop in the car and drive across the state or across the country. Does anyone else feel a constant pull from the open road? Maybe my wanderlust is more severe than I thought. But I haven’t allowed it to turn me into a nomad…yet. That’s why this blog was created. To share my experiences, old and new, in the hopes that I might help someone else fulfill their need to drink in the world but also to satiate myself between adventures.
I have a ticket to Paris booked for next month and I can’t wait to take you along with me.
What sparked your desire to travel? Anyone else get their first taste of the world through a Study Abroad program?
Please leave a comment or question below. This blog is yet another adventure and I’m looking forward to sharing it with all of you!
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