Wanderlust

It's that time of the week - injecting a little geographic exploration into an otherwise sedentary life.

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I was talking with a niece (for lack of a better familial term) recently about her upcoming summer plans. She is completing her second year of college and is planning on going to Ireland for the summer - a few weeks of "learning" and travel through her university. Next spring she hopes to spend a semester in London. I must have overwhelmed her with my excitement - so thrilled for her to go on this adventure! Oh, how I miss those days.

Sort of.

I told her stories of my summer in Nigeria (did I mention the malaria?) - and how I bummed around London for a week on my way home. Little money, little food but I was so excited to be doing it "on my own".

I told her stories of the subsequent spring semester in England where I also backpacked around Europe - again, little money, little food. But somehow I made it work. At one point I had nothing but a Eurail pass, 25 cents and a box of cookies. Luckily, I was on the last leg of my trip - eager to meet my parents in Germany. Oh the joy I felt when I finally hauled myself through the door after 20 hours of train travel - and there on the table was FOOD! Vegetables! Meat! WINE! And yet, that endless train ride is not at all a painful memory.

At the end of the semester I wasn't willing to come home - crossing the Atlantic seemed like such a final act. I would have completed my time overseas, headed back to a boring job at home. I was not ready.

I found myself a summer gig volunteering on a kibbutz in Israel - hard work but 3 square meals! Picking pears, working on a potato combine, backpacking around the country - again, little money, little food (off the kibbutz). Absolutely one of the most rewarding jobs I ever had.

And as I sat there and told these tales to our niece with all the excitement and joy and I could ever feel - I kept thinking, "could I do that again?".

No. My older self loves my comfy bed, warm shower, and FOOD.

But I can't wait to see her pictures!