I have a heart full of wanderlust. I am constantly thinking about where I can go next and what I can do.

I decided that my first blog post should be about wanderlust especially given that I’ve said that my heart is full of it and it’s the title of my blog.

There might be a few of you wondering what on earth wanderlust is. It is an unusual word, I give you that, and it’s not one that’s used in everyday sentences. However, it’s a word that I love as it creates the idea of lust and love for travel.

Wanderlust is all about the strong desire to travel and I identify with that so much. I’ve always wanted to travel. My parents made sure that we always had the most amazing holidays; from staying in a mobile home in France, climbing Mount Snowdon to going to every Disney park in Orlando, Florida. All these holidays from my childhood influenced my love for travel and my desire to explore the world.

 It comes from the German language, put together by the words
‘wandern’ (to hike) and ‘lust’ (desire). You could say it basically means desire to hike, but it’s used to describe a love or desire to wander and travel.

Apparently, the word is on its way out sadly. It’s been replaced by another German word: ‘Fernweh’, meaning farsickness.

 I do love finding different words that are all linked to explaining a love for travel. I can identify with being fernweh, lusting after a place that I had never actually been to. For me, that was New York City. I am a huge Friends and How I Met Your Mother fan and I had always wanted to go to New York. I remember being 12 years old and asking my mum if we could go for my 18th birthday (Mum had said we could go when I was older). Fortunately I did make it, but for an early 21st present. That sadly meant no birthday cocktails for me just yet, but all I cared about was that I was in the place I had dreamt of going for years.
I now seem to have fernweh for most places, just wanting to travel.

I do like the word ‘fernweh’ and what it means, but for me the word ‘wanderlust’ will always create idea of lust and love of travelling and exploring the world.