Travel

This is probably going to turn into one of those late-night, rambly, somewhat nonsensical posts, so here goes.

The other day I had an almost irresistible desire to drive up to Virginia to visit Assateague and Chincoteague islands. For the uninformed, the book 'Misty of Chincoteague' by Marguerite Henry made those islands famous by writing about their ponies and the yearly pony event. I've wanted to visit every since I was a kid, but never thought I would have the opportunity to do so. Until now.

I can't go now, for several reasons. (Lack of funds tops the list, quickly followed by not enough time on the way home from Florida, and rounded off with not having someone to drive 1,000 miles to the original commonwealth.) But I've been noticing lately a growing desire to travel and go places I've never been before, just to say I did.

First it was Colorado. Now it's Florida and doing things on my own when not watching nephews (I'm going to go riding here within the next week or so, and I'm terribly excited at the prospect.). Later, who knows? Maybe driving up to Minnesota to see one of the girls from this summer, maybe taking the thousand-mile trip to Virginia and the Assateague ponies, probably going back to Colorado at some point...my restlessness is breaking out in the form of wanderlust and this unexplainable, irresistible, terrifying feeling of freedom that comes from going on these crazy trips.

I can't even explain why I'm restless. It has something to do with feeling unfocused and unattached to anyone or anything...add in a dash of being tired of living in a place that I can only describe as a dead-end, and there you have it. Don't get me wrong, I love my home. But with my brothers gone and Colletta gone and my friends moving away and not having any really close friends nearby, it almost seems better to travel and be alone of my own accord, rather than being held there by some sense of duty or being trapped.

(I use strong words sometimes, but mostly because I'm not taking the time to find a better word. So when I say 'trapped' and the like, it's with a bit of hyperbole rather than truly feeling forced to remain where I am.)

Traveling probably isn't the answer to the loneliness, but the way I look at it: I'm not going to be in this stage of life forever. Nowhere else will I have the freedom to go where I like and do what I want (within reason, of course). And I anticipate settling down eventually, but while I can still travel, I figure it can't hurt to indulge the drifter within.

(I think this is the first time in over a year I've used pictures that aren't mine. O.o Tumblr and Pinterest are awesome for wandering/traveling pictures.)