Wanderlust

We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls. -Anais Nin

Or some other cliche quote about traveling.
I just spent 3 weeks traveling across half the country. A year and a half ago I spent my summer traveling across the world. I wrote a blog then about how my heart felt torn between different places because I felt so connected to them. Now I write this blog with different feelings. My heart doesn’t feel torn or overly attached anymore… it feels unattached, free even, with this desire to travel and visit new places and try new things. Don’t get my wrong, my heart feels impressed upon from each place I have been and from every person I have met. However, I just have no strings anywhere per say. My friends and family are scattered across the country. I feel pulled in every and no direction all at the same time.
At 22 I am a young college graduate who is about to have a masters degree, and have a real, grownup teaching job in the fall. I wrote the word “young” in that last sentence for a reason. I am writing this blog for a reason…if you keep reading you might understand… I find it so interesting that at 22, I (and many friends my age) find ourselves comparing our lives to others. Comparing our achievements or lack of achievements to others. YES. We live in the south, a place where by the time you graduate college half of your friends are engaged or married. A quarter of your friends are having babies. The other quarter of your friends are either starting a new exciting job or traveling the world to find themselves. And sometimes you just feel STUCK. Stuck because you haven’t accomplished any of these things. Stuck because you feel like you SHOULD have accomplished these things. And you start feeling old. Old…at 22…HA! It’s quite hilarious actually.
Well, I have news for you: Number 1… 22 or 25 or 30 is not old. You are just beginning life in many respects. And Number 2…I have not accomplished all these things I just listed…I have traveled a lot these last 2 years, though. And I have had many people tell me they wish they could travel like I did. BUT GUESS WHAT. Traveling the world, getting a job, getting married, having a baby, etc. doesn’t solve your problems. It doesn’t really help you escape them either. Sometimes we seek these things to have an end goal-a purpose in life. But if there is anything I have learned recently, that I hope I can convey to whoever is reading this, is that it doesn’t matter your accomplishments on this earth or when these so-called accomplishments happen, all that matters is Jesus. Trust me, I have searched and tried to put my hopes in other things (family, friends, guys, careers, traveling, things) and they all left me feeling empty inside. Even right now, as I have returned from my travels…I somehow thought I would feel satisfied and fulfilled from them. However, I don’t. I had tons of fun, but it didn’t leave me feeling fulfilled. What I need is Jesus’ directions. And right now that means finishing the school year strong and putting Jesus above it all. Maybe I’ll travel more in the future, I do love it. But now I know that even being a free wanderer won’t fulfill me-only Jesus can.