Wanderlust is not simply a feeling; it is a mindset.  People across the world struggle with the want for something else in their lives.  Unhappiness in people is very high around the world,  especially in my home country of America, I feel as though many of my peers including myself at some points are simply unhappy with their current life situation.  Perhaps this is because currently we are in a time of our lives where we simply must be doing constant mundane schoolwork.  Or perhaps it is simply because my peers and myself have not realized just how much college will pay off in the future because of how difficult and brash it is currently.  It is very interesting to examine where people’s go when they are struggling in life.  Wanderlust is a feeling in which countless people have whenever they wish to be someplace else than their current situation.  It is important to indulge ourselves in this feeling and not to lose it.  Wanderlust can motivate people to get up and out of their current state of mind or schedule and discover something new and often times valuable.  In engulfing oneself in that feeling, new and exciting ideas and discoveries will become present.   

The affects of engulfing oneself in that feeling of wanderlust became a mindset for David Pegg who wrote, “The 25 Most Remote Places in the World.”  Pegg’s reasons for wanting to explore these 25 places are very similar to the statement above.  Simply put, Pegg was not happy with his past life situation so he went to search for something different.  Wanderlust was a feeling in which Pegg had in his body.  He did not exactly know where he wished to be at the time, but through adventure and discovery, that feeling subsided.  Travel for Pegg meant more than simply a stamp in his passport.  For him the immense feeling of wanderlust is relatable to my own.  Traveling for Pegg gave him the unique opportunity to not only fulfill his mindset of wanderlust, but to have experiences which nobody else in the world has experienced.  The freedom Pegg explains in his article further enforces the fact that embracing the feeling of wanderlust is the quickest way to discovering new and exciting things about yourself and the world as a whole.  “The 25 Most Remote Places in the World” takes the crown for peaking an adventurers interest.  From Bangladesh to the Antarctic, Greenland to Hawaii, this article explains where one can find places where nobody else has gone in the world.  David Pegg’s experience in isolation lead him to the realization that although he was often times completely alone during his travels, he always felt as though the nature surrounding him was present and alive.  Just as a fellow adventurer would give, the environment of these places, located far from civilization were incredibly comforting for Pegg.  Perfect for any adventurer or person interested in this topic, this article not only highlights the important things to know before attempting to visit these places, but more importantly reinforces the idea that letting the feeling of wanderlust become a mindset leads to beneficial discoveries about oneself and the world.

Often times people are afraid of what they do not know.  On the contrary, the feeling of wanderlust is one that is exciting and promising.  This feeling is something in which I encounter often in my life as I am always looking for an adventure or new undertaking to involve myself in.  This question is one that has been with me throughout my life from the time where I was just a little kid hiking in the woods behind my house to now with the hopes of working abroad in the near future.  This question greatly affects my values because it relates directly to what I find because that helps your mind and soul to evolve.  Having gone and stayed abroad at both Japan and Germany during an exchange program, I believe I am somewhat knowledgeable with this question.  However, I am only an 18-year-old kid in college, and the feelings of wanderlust that flood my body ever so often are teasing for me since I do not yet have the freedom to fulfill them.  Travel in any form both internationally as well as locally is vital to freeing the mind and replenishing the body.  I find that I am qualified to write about this topic simply because of my first-hand experience with these feelings and interests.  

  “The Six Most Remote Places in Human Civilization” outlines just how isolated some of the places in the world are.  Much like David Pegg, Savannah Cox explains to readers that even though these places look very desolate and unwelcoming, for some people they are the perfect home.  Cox’s experiences in the lush forests of the Amazon were equally as fulfilling as her treks through the Patagonia mountain range because of the things she learned and discovered.  Her list expands to almost every continent in the world and includes many different cultures.  This examples is obviously an extreme source of information.  Cox strongly reinforces how beneficial letting the feeling of wanderlust become a mindset is.  She details how she did not expect to make so many relationships along her adventures as she did.  This detail is important because it further enforces the idea that many positive things come out of following the feeling of wanderlust.  For Cox, she found companionship with the people of the countries she traveled to which was not something she had in mind going in to her journey.  Not many people that I have had the pleasure of coming into contact with have expressed interest in traveling to the most desolate places in the world and living there for some time, instead of usually more desirable places are preferred but Cox proves that even when common language and cultures are absent, companionship is possible even in the most vacant of destinations when one follows quenches their thirst for wanderlust.

Of course everyone yearns to travel at least at some point in their lives. It is human nature to want to find out what else is out there in the world and to see if anything better is present. However, Cara Chancellor argues that the time to do that discovering is later in life when you already have a steady basis and successful life set up in her article, “12 Reasons Why Traveling Is a Bad Idea.”  Even though this article is incredibly interesting and causes one to really think about their life and traveling while young, I do believe my point is correct and truthful.  This article was published on March 3, 2015. At that time, I was a junior in high school who was lucky enough to have traveled to Japan the summer prior. My experience with that trip leads me to argue against Chancellor’s viewpoints because I believe I attained so much from that trip that I would not have otherwise attained had I not gone. I learned much about myself and my ability to analyze others and I also got my first taste of traveling abroad pretty much by myself.  My feeling of wanderlust became a mindset during this time spent abroad.  In Wiesbaden, Germany, during a day designated to adventure around the town, I came across an old church in the center of town.  I was able to recall a history lesson my freshman year teacher presented about the importance of the church in European towns.  The feeling of wanderlust brought me to discover a church in the center of town, however the mindset I had prompted me to use the German I had to ask a random person about more information regarding the church and the town square.  My mindset of wanderlust allowed me to walk away from that conversation more informed and satisfied than if I had not talked to this person.  This experience and discovery about the origin of the Christ Church of Wiesbaden Deutschland happened solely because of my willingness to embrace my feeling of wanderlust and create a unique experience that I have to myself.  Although Chancellor makes valid arguments about why she believes it is better to sweep the feeling of wanderlust under the fridge during early times of one’s life, the experience I had in the town square of a small German city would not have been possible if I had waited until I was old and comfortable to embrace my feeling of wanderlust.  

Somebody who has been an inspiration to myself and millions of others around the world, is Casey Neistat.  Jesse Ashlock portrays Neistat’s adventures so vividly in his article “Let's Get Lost.”  This article goes above and beyond explaining the benefits and excitement that comes along with traveling to a random foreign place.  Casey Neistat, a famous YouTuber and film maker is observed in this article.  His recent trip to Namibia was accurately photographed and documented.  Neistat talks about the importance of travel and adventure.  One point which he stresses the importance of is traveling to a place which is not in the front and center of your mind.  He also goes on to explain how important new experiences are, “When Casey was growing up in New London, his mother taught him that possessions were more valuable than travel, because they lasted forever. After a trip to Paris at 18, his first outside the United States, he concluded that she was wrong, and decided to dedicate his life to having experiences — a favorite word of his.”  Many people usually trust their parents in what they tell them because of the realization that ultimately parents are supposed to know more due to the longer duration of their lives.  However, Neistat argues that in this case, his mother was deeply mistaken.  Instead of material goods, Neistat pledges the fact that new experiences are worth much more.  He argues, “…material goods are finite, they will someday vanish…experiences are irreplaceable” (Neistat).  I found this article to be a perfect portrayal of why it is very important to engulf oneself in the feeling of wanderlust and to make wanderlust your mindset.  Even if it is just to a place you have never been before in your hometown, discovering new things and exposing new ideas are both possible so long as the feeling of wanderlust is turned into an all encompassing mindset.

YouTube videos might not be the most informative sources of information, however some sources especially those which are opinion based in nature, can be very helpful in proving a point.  The YouTube videographer “Funforlouis” is a very adventurous person who tells life lessons through his various life excursions.  A recent video of his, “Epic World Adventure” is a very intriguing video where Louis describes the benefits of travel.  This video talks about the importance of travel and the feeling of wanderlust and how to fulfill it.  Louis, the main adventurer talks about his struggles in life dealing with unhappiness and how traveling has helped him to free his mind and live a more fulfilling life.  In his third most recent video, the importance of embracing the feeling of wanderlust and letting it become a mindset is proven.  Within his videos, Louis talks about how he was able to clear his mind and understand why he was unhappy at a young age and how adventuring around the suburb in which he lived ultimately lead him to a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction which made him happy.  Date and bias do not play any role in his videos aside from personal experience and knowledge of the issues discussed.  Like Casey Neistat, this videographer is a pioneer in blogging and world travel videos.  Not only does he inform various people about the benefits of travel but he describes his experiences both positive and negative.  I believe that Louis, shares similar views on this topic as I do.  Even though he has had more experience with world travel and is simply older and wiser than I am, I still feel as though the points that he makes further proves the importance of engulfing oneself in the feeling of wanderlust and letting it become a mindset.  From the time he spent walking around the suburbs of Cobham in the United Kingdom as a kid, to traveling through dense rainforest and elevated mountain ranges, Louis John Cole allowed his feeling of wanderlust to become a mindset which lead to a fulfilled life of happiness.

The final piece of outside evidence I have to support the importance of embracing the feelings of wanderlust and adopting wanderlust as a mindset, is written by The Travel Magazine.  This magazine as the title suggests not only describes in detail different destinations around the world, but it also gives personal opinions from world travelers about the different places they traveled to as well as their experiences there.  “Revealed: the world’s top hidden gems (just keep it to yourself),” is different from the other articles supporting my argument in that it offers a viewpoint about places that are not necessarily popular and known to the public.  This article states, “Little-known destinations such as Jaffna in the North of Sri Lanka, El Nido Pangalusian Island in the Philippines and Mexico’s ancient Mayan city of Yaxchilan are among everything from tiny towns to palm-flecked beaches named in a list of the world’s top 20 hidden gems” (Revealed: the world’s top hidden gems (just keep it to yourself)).  This article supports my argument in a very different way.  It argues that the places which are not the most well-known are in fact the most pleasing for the mind to visit.  Many people always want to vacation at the most popular places and vacations spots where they can relax and often times lay in the sun all day.  A very contrary and increasingly popular belief is that true relaxation and the ability to clear ones mind is only achieved when they have time to themselves to think about their lives as well as active things to do while on their trip.  The arguments displayed in this article are not popular and hard to find.  Even though many people believe pure relaxation and the ability to clear the mind is only achieved through times of doing nothing and having time to soak in the sun, the idea that active travel is in fact the best way to clear the mind is becoming a favorite of mine.  The clearing of one’s mind is attained through the feeling of fulfillment.  Much like the feeling that hard work provides, satisfying one’s feeling of wanderlust brings along the same mind clearing effects.  

Wanderlust is defined by many as, “a strong desire to travel.”  Although this statement is true, it is wrong about one aspect.  Wanderlust is the need to travel in order to fill a void in one’s soul.  The discoveries made through fulfilling one’s feeling of wanderlust are invaluable.  No matter your current economic or social status, allowing the feeling of wanderlust to become a mindset prompts fulfillment in one’s life, leading to a clear mind free from distractions and full of adventure, discovery and above all, happiness.
