Sometimes I feel as if I'm bipolar or schizophrenic.
There's a side of me that belongs home, longing for roots and stability. My family, my home, my friends. The little things, like the smells, the sounds, the creeks of the floorboard, etc. I love having that sense of sturdiness, that sense of roots. Contentment.
Yet there are times when I get what's known in our family as the Davis Family Travel Bug. Or better worded, the adventure bug. I long for excitement. I long for experiencing the new, the unknown, the unstable. Experiencing new smells, new sights. Jumping off cliffs and diving into the sea. Sightseeing and experiencing all that God has set in place. Taking off without reason, spur-of-the-moment deciding to head off somewhere unknown.
Tonight I made what I now know is a mistake by watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. They each travel to their respective areas, most of them not far from home. But at the end, they all just up and buy a ticket to Greece. I long for that. If money wasn't a factor (or the fact I don't have a current passport), it would take all the forces of the world to stop me from driving to Minneapolis and hopping on the next flight to anywhere exotic. Bora Bora? Of course. Turkey? Why not. Greece, Italy, Spain, Rome, Portugal, Venezuela, Australia, London, Paris, Vienna - "covered". (A camp reference, for those who would understand.) I would go anywhere.
It's as if words cannot account for this extreme urge to get out of this place. It's not that I don't love it with all my heart. But it's really that I love the thought of adventure more. I want to experience all life has to offer and the thought of being cooped up here with the same ol' same ol' is disheartening, at best.
Part of this past summer was exactly that for me...the adventure. My first two weeks were rough, as I was homesick for all that I missed. But after that it seemed as if I delved right into California life, embracing everything and anything it had to offer. (I will soon have the opportunity to experience it again! My heart longs for that familiar as well.)
Yet I still can't shake this craving that I need more. It's a little frightening, to be honest. There are days I wonder if it has a drug-like quality. Every bit of adventure gives me a dose and it quenches the thirst for the time being. The problem is, the thirst comes back with a vengeance, wanting more and more.
I want to chase storms through the midwest, feeling the power of the wind surround me. I want to fly east, Lobstering in Maine and traveling down the coast, stopping for the thrill of the theater or history of New York City, going through South Carolina on beaches, or visiting the very tip of Florida. I want to travel to Paris, buy a ridiculously overpriced pair of Jimmi Choos and take the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I want to Greek Dance in Greece. (I already know how, thanks to Jenny Codi... "hooopah!") I want to eat true Italian food in Italy. I long to dive along the Great Barrier Reef, taking in the coral and tropical fish, all while not being eaten by a shark. (knock on wood, right?) I want to swim with dolphins off of the Bahamas, and maybe even sail a Pirate Ship with Captain Jack Sparrow through the Caribbean. (Ok, so that last one, not quite, I suppose.) But you get the idea.
I've seen so little. I've experienced far less. I need to embrace this world.
.....the only problem: How do I get the money? Oh, and, who would travel with me?
There's a side of me that belongs home, longing for roots and stability. My family, my home, my friends. The little things, like the smells, the sounds, the creeks of the floorboard, etc. I love having that sense of sturdiness, that sense of roots. Contentment.
Yet there are times when I get what's known in our family as the Davis Family Travel Bug. Or better worded, the adventure bug. I long for excitement. I long for experiencing the new, the unknown, the unstable. Experiencing new smells, new sights. Jumping off cliffs and diving into the sea. Sightseeing and experiencing all that God has set in place. Taking off without reason, spur-of-the-moment deciding to head off somewhere unknown.
Tonight I made what I now know is a mistake by watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. They each travel to their respective areas, most of them not far from home. But at the end, they all just up and buy a ticket to Greece. I long for that. If money wasn't a factor (or the fact I don't have a current passport), it would take all the forces of the world to stop me from driving to Minneapolis and hopping on the next flight to anywhere exotic. Bora Bora? Of course. Turkey? Why not. Greece, Italy, Spain, Rome, Portugal, Venezuela, Australia, London, Paris, Vienna - "covered". (A camp reference, for those who would understand.) I would go anywhere.
It's as if words cannot account for this extreme urge to get out of this place. It's not that I don't love it with all my heart. But it's really that I love the thought of adventure more. I want to experience all life has to offer and the thought of being cooped up here with the same ol' same ol' is disheartening, at best.
Part of this past summer was exactly that for me...the adventure. My first two weeks were rough, as I was homesick for all that I missed. But after that it seemed as if I delved right into California life, embracing everything and anything it had to offer. (I will soon have the opportunity to experience it again! My heart longs for that familiar as well.)
Yet I still can't shake this craving that I need more. It's a little frightening, to be honest. There are days I wonder if it has a drug-like quality. Every bit of adventure gives me a dose and it quenches the thirst for the time being. The problem is, the thirst comes back with a vengeance, wanting more and more.
I want to chase storms through the midwest, feeling the power of the wind surround me. I want to fly east, Lobstering in Maine and traveling down the coast, stopping for the thrill of the theater or history of New York City, going through South Carolina on beaches, or visiting the very tip of Florida. I want to travel to Paris, buy a ridiculously overpriced pair of Jimmi Choos and take the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I want to Greek Dance in Greece. (I already know how, thanks to Jenny Codi... "hooopah!") I want to eat true Italian food in Italy. I long to dive along the Great Barrier Reef, taking in the coral and tropical fish, all while not being eaten by a shark. (knock on wood, right?) I want to swim with dolphins off of the Bahamas, and maybe even sail a Pirate Ship with Captain Jack Sparrow through the Caribbean. (Ok, so that last one, not quite, I suppose.) But you get the idea.
I've seen so little. I've experienced far less. I need to embrace this world.
.....the only problem: How do I get the money? Oh, and, who would travel with me?
