Wanderlust Is Real: The 22 Signs You're A Wanderer
It was J.R.R. Tolkien who said, “Not all those who wander are lost” and I couldn't agree more. There are distinct qualities of “the wanderer” or “the dreamer” that will forever hold a special place in the world.
For it's the wanderers who discover the unique and the new, the foreign and the unnoticed. They are the ones who travel across the world for no reason but to follow the urges in their hearts and to pacify the restlessness in their souls.
They are a refreshing depart from the average Joe. They view life in another way, a way that enhances experiences and justifies randomness. They find beauty in the ugly and challenge traditional norms. They protest the typical and the rigid and demand a life that's less stoic and more magic.
It's also the wanderer who is the most misunderstood. Scorned for having “their head in the clouds,” they are victims of misrepresentation and misguided hate. They are deemed unfit for jobs, daily life and societal pressures.
They are cast as “unreliable” and named “hippies” or even “nomads.” They are seen as irresponsible and lazy. When, really, they are the most creative and inspiring people we know.
They dream of books that haven't been written, cities yet to be discovered, and lives yet to be lived. They see the beauty in the unknown and the trivial. They find meaning in the mundane tasks of everyday life and inspire others to seek adventure and originality. They are the leaders of the pack, the revolutionaries and the inspiration for the rest of us.
For it's the dreamers who create the most in this world. If Christopher Columbus wasn't an explorer, a dreamer, a wanderer, he would have never felt the need to pacify his innermost urges to explore the world, to cross oceans and find new land.
If it weren't for the daydreams of Steve Jobs and days on the grass spent thinking, wondering and pondering a better design, he would have never created Apple.
In a world quick to put down and label the tendencies of others, the wanderer is prone to get a bad rap. They are viewed as the elusive and erratic. And maybe we are; maybe we are irresponsible and childish.
Maybe we are just restless dreamers who won't be satisfied unless we're exploring new territories and meeting new people. Maybe we're just childish fools who refuse to grow up and accept the monotony of daily life. Maybe we are just kids with our “heads in the clouds.” But if we're everything that's wrong with society, then I most definitely don't ever want to be right.
You dream of other places after you've just gotten somewhere.
You have a hard time keeping friends but are always making new ones.
You're never content in one spot and that one spot is always old.
You find beauty in the ordinary but find being ordinary a fate worse than death.
You waste time daydreaming but never have enough time to sleep.
Your legs always feel as restless as your soul.
You're always staring off into space and spacing out about another world.
You're ready to go anywhere, as long as it's somewhere new.
You're fascinated by maps and oceans.
Your Instagram photos are of places you want to go rather than those you've been.
You know airfare prices like those who follow stock prices.
When walking, you'd rather look up than down.
You never want to be where you are, but couldn't wait to get there before you were.
Your head is in the clouds almost as much as you are.
You look for the strange, exotic and unusual in the mundane.
You never consider where you are as the place you'll be forever.
You count your money in terms of how far it will get you.
Your most valuable possessions are ones that can't be bought in stores.
You look for new spots in old territories and old territories in new spots.
You make plans until you're ready to leave, then leave the plans behind.
You trust your gut more than any tour guide.
You find beauty in the ugly and ugly in the beautiful.
Your family is the only reason you ever return home.
You have a hard time keeping a job because you're always leaving it.
Top Photo Courtesy: Tumblr
