Wanderlust

The word Wanderlust has always suited me to a tee.
When I was young I had ambitions of joining the air force and seeing as much of the world as possible.
As a young mother, I wanted to take the children on a variety of vacations not just the same tired places each year. It took a long time to get their dad to agree to heading north for a vacation... To him all vacations are to be spent in Panama City Florida. I loved Panama City I think it is the most wonderful place to walk in the white sand and to go to Captain Anderson's restaurant or his awesome dinner cruise.
But... Wanderlust would set in.

The desire to relive my vacations from when I was 4 5 and 6 years old. Waking up early to the cool mountain air and being right beside Deep Creek at the camp site with Mama Kate cooking bacon over the fire. The coffee simmering away and we have a chance to walk to the waters edge and wait for breakfast while just enjoying being in that beauty. Now I remember this from very early. The last vacation I took up there was when I was no more than 7 years old. I remember the packing before the trips. I remember the drive and the scenery. I remember Grandpa telling the others to hold on to me as we passed through wispy clouds so I didn't fly away.
So 20 years later when I talked their dad into going somewhere new.. we finally got to go back to the Smoky mountains.
Back to the rock walls that are not high enough to actually keep you from toppling over but they offer a small sense of security. Back to the Brown Welcome to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park sign. All feeling familiar and beckoning me to remember. Grabbing a map and finding Maggie Valley and Deep Creek Campgrounds. Finding Cherokee and then going over the mountain to North Carolina and retracing the steps of my youth. All from 20 year old memories.
This is what wanderlust feels like to me.. the desire to go.. just up and go.. Wanderlust is packing a few things and grabbing the girls and taking off up North to see some states you have never seen before. Driving all night and feeling the chill in the August air once you drive farther north than Tennessee. Going into Kentucky seeing the signs for the birthplace of Lincoln. Seeing the signs about Daniel Boone. Seeing the rolling hills and realizing the really are rolling.
Topping the mountain and looking straight down into Cincinnati for the first time. Seeing a Major League Ballpark sitting on the bank of a river for the first time... Driving into Ohio for the first time and realizing that uncle Dick used to live in a place called Akron and finding it on the map. Driving over to it and then deciding.. Pennsylvania is right here.. Lets go see what Pennsylvania looks like.

Making the decision to traverse Pennsylvania without a map and without taking the freeway. This discovery makes me feel free and happy that I am making memories with my daughters. I hope positive memories. And instilling in them a little taste of Wanderlust...

I see the word Wanderlust on facebook this morning and I feel the pull of unknown places and almost forgotten locations asking me to come visit with them again. Tempted by Wanderlust...