Wanderlust both defines yet eludes most of the twenty-somethings I know, and probably seeps into the minds and desires of decades I have yet to experience. We have a tendency to neglect our present surroundings in search of poignancy as it can be found elsewhere. Surely I will be able to find myself while hiking Machu Pichu or wandering the streets of Sao Paulo - but when did this idea of self discovery necessitate and depend on travel? I'm in no way saying that there aren't valuable experiences to be gained from going abroad. My inspiration for this piece, in fact, is the four months I spent living in Barcelona as a college student - the four best months of my life thus far. But upon reflecting WHY these months were so invaluable, I've realized that it wasn't so much where I was as much as how I lived. I lived richly and cultivated meaningful relationships and explored and took risks. This lifestyle is not unique to Barcelona, and I've recently wondered if we can't strive to found our every day lives by these principles that made life so much….happier.
Twenty-something humor is almost founded on self-deprecation, there is always a cheap laugh to be scored by pointing out weight gain, discussing the monotony of an entry level job, or reliving the horrors of a failed relationship. These are never topics of discussion while traveling. There is too much to see, do, and uncover to focus on what's wrong, incomplete, or unexplained. Each day we explored a new part of Barcelona, and almost every weekend we had a trip planned to a different part of Europe - I even made it to Africa for a campout in the Saharra Desert. I now live in one of the most culturally rich and physically beautiful cities in the world, and routine threatens my sense of adventure daily. So my challenge to myself is quite simple: live like I'm abroad. I want to reconnect to the most meaningful point of self-discovery in my life even if I no longer have the freedom of a college student living on an allowance from my parents cushioned by a little bit of babysitting money. I want to veer away from the paradoxical and quite frankly confusing lifestyle that can define and envelop people my age and instead make every effort to live richly and explore.
In honor of the five year anniversary of my arrival in Barcelona, over the next few weeks, each Monday I am going to post about my explorations around San Francisco and the Bay Area. I am looking forward to leaving the comfort zone of my pizza restaurant, my neighborhood bar, and my frequented coffee shop. I hope that in "discovering" different parts of my city, I can regain the feeling of wonder and motivation that I felt so strongly in Barcelona.
Until the series begins on Monday, here are some of my favorite photos from my time abroad.
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| Our favorite neighborhood bar, Pippermint - the glass sizes were every college student's dream |
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| The Colosseum, Rome |
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| Trevi Fountain |
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| Oktoberfest |
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| Montserrat, Spain |
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| Prague |
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| The Sahara Desert |
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| Yes, I needed to include two pictures of me riding a camel. |
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| Little did I know how meaningful this picture would become 5 years later: Cam, my best friend, Amy, and Cam's best friends from Colgate, Rob and John |
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