Wanderlust

Goldstream Provincial Park

I've got it bad. Oh man, I've got it bad. Call it the travel bug, wanderlust, that itch, FOMO, whatever, but I need to go somewhere. Maybe it's because I'm unemployed and have nothing else to think about, or maybe it's just that wonderful time of year where all the beauty that I began to take for granted suddenly stuns me again, but I need to get out somewhere. I need the woods, I need to go camping, I need vistas and waterfalls and moss and tall trees and wildlife.

Badlands National Park

I know, I know, I know, I know. I just traveled 3,000 miles on a trip of a lifetime across the United States with the love of my life. I know I saw more amazing things on that trip than I ever have in my whole life. I understand this. But I think that's what started this! Towards the end of the trip, probably about the time that we hit Washington, I remember Jon saying he just wished that we could get there and settle in. A part of me felt that way, too, but an even bigger part of me wished that our road trip was lasting another week. Or three.

Yellowstone National Park

I know, I know, I know. I went to Oregon and California back in March when Jon and I eloped, where we drove along the Pacific Coast highway and saw huge washed up trees along the coast and I saw redwoods for the first time. I also went to Costa Rica in January with a dear friend of mine. There I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time, traversed inside a rain forest for the first time, and saw more wildlife than I have ever seen. I even traveled from Boston to Virginia in April, a small trip of its own, to go camping with some of my favorite friends. I am very, very lucky to have traveled this much this year. This has been, by far, the best year of my life. But... I want more!

Olympic National Park

I feel like a spoiled child at the point, but I think knowing that there's all of this undiscovered (to me!) natural beauty around me is giving me this wonderful, horrible, insatiable itch that won't be satisfied until I'm on the road. I've been planning trips to Alaska and Hawai'i, telling myself that "$500 for a flight really isn't that bad" when I don't have any income. Maybe it's because my sister landed in London earlier today, maybe it's because I keep seeing photos of my favorite bloggers traveling, or maybe it's because I'm seeing photos of current and past adventures that my crunchy friends have had.

White Mountains, New Hampshire

I'm sincerely jealous of all those people in my life that are traveling, and I feel like I need to create an adventure. I've never done it alone, but I feel like this is the time and place in my life to do so. I don't know why there's a feeling holding me back, but there is one. I always go adventuring with people that I love, and experiencing those new places with them or having those new experiences brings us closer, and that may be a reason why I love it so much. So until I can build up the guts to do so, I'll just keep sighing at pictures of bygone adventures.

Great Falls National Park

Redwoods National Park

Drake Bay, Costa Rica

Catskills Mountains, New York

Shenandoah National Park

Ricketts Glen State Park, Pennsylvania

Hickory Run State Park, Pennsylvania

My sister and I were talking a few days ago, and I realized in middle of that conversation that I'm the happiest I can be when I'm in nature. Maybe that's a reason I'm hankering for some travel: knowing that it'll bring my happiness when I'm feeling vaguely depressed and homesick. When I'm out there, all my worries disappear as I indulge in some of my favorite things, and spend time with some of my favorite people.

Delaware Water Gap National Park