Photo Challenge: WANDERLUST
“Nostalgia in reverse, the longing for yet another strange land, grew especially strong in spring.” Vladimir Nabokov
Photo Challenge: WANDERLUST – We travel near and afar to know ourselves
The Wanderlust has got me… by the belly-aching fire. Robert W. Service
She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city. Roman Payne,
It sounds so far away and different. I like different places. I like any places that isn’t here. Edna Ferber
Wandering flushes a glory that fades with arrival. J.A. Baker
You must give everything to make your life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in your imagination. Roman Payne
All my life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper just running down the edges of different countries and continents, looking for something. Elizabeth Bishop
It was Mark Twain who said: Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. I wholeheartedly agree! When we step out of our comfort zone and make the effort to visit other areas and connect with people who are not like us or live like us, we learn to appreciate the vast, rich, cultural communities that make this world what it is. To travel doesn’t only mean we have to go abroad to some distant, international locale. International travel is great but, don’t forget that we can visit a neighboring community and come away with new foods, arts and crafts, and pearls of wisdom. Don’t use the excuse that you can’t afford to travel because you can take a trip to a nearby state and come away equally enriched.
In my photo collage above, I’ve chosen to feature recent places I’ve visited in the US; some are local. The houses are from my recent trip to Iowa City with one of my kids. The big picture of a house is Dey House, home of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, at the University of Iowa, and the other houses are beautiful arts and crafts style homes I saw as I walked around near the college campus. I must add that the people are so genuine and welcoming of others. The pace is slower (read = normal for longevity and meaningful interactions) than the breakneck, stress-inducing way we move around in NY. I fell in love with Iowa, its people, and its beautiful, lilting, and see-how-heaven-meets-earth landscape. Yep, I will be visiting a lot when one of my kids moves there for Grad School. The white church is First Church-Christ Scientist, a popular one in Tarrytown, NY and the other photos are of the Hudson River at sunset, the Croton aqueduct bike path, a gorgeous pond and meditative park, a bench in front of a local library, and a local nursery/farmer’s market…
More Below!
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.” J.R.R. Tolkien
Photo Challenge: WANDERLUST – We travel near and afar to know ourselves
There’s something about arriving in new cities, wandering empty streets with no destination. I will never lose the love for the arriving, but I’m born to leave. Charlotte Eriksson
Because he had no place he could stay in without getting tired of it and because there was nowhere to go but everywhere, keep rolling under the stars… Jack Kerouac
He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams. J.R.R. Tolkien
Adventure is allowing the unexpected to happen to you. Exploration is experiencing what you have not experienced before. How can there be any adventure, any exploration, if you let somebody else – above all, a travel bureau – arrange everything before-hand? Richard Aldington
As I look at my photo collage and reflect on each shot, I am reminded of the beauty of our global community both near and far. We do travel near and afar to know/learn more about ourselves by interacting with others. Seize each moment to connect with people in a sincere way. Step out of the familiar for once and drop the divisive rhetoric. At the end of the day, we are truly all the same in the sense that we want to be appreciated for who we are and what we contribute to the world.
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: Wanderlust – This week, share a photo that represents travel to you. Whether you’re crossing borders or visiting a nearby neighborhood for the first time, we would love to see how you capture these new environments and interactions! I look forward to traveling with you!
Positive Motivation Tip: Travel to expand your location and your mind
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my personal collection
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Wanderlust is an exciting topic for the photo challenge! I have to think about where to go and what to shoot this time. You have captured wonderful moments.
Thank you! I’m glad you like the selections. 🙂
If I were to travel to any place I wish, I would want to see all the UNESCO heritage churches. That would be so surreal, to be in a church that is centuries old!
That’s a great goal. Do it!
What stunning pictures! You have a real talent… Definitely captured some magic!
We haven’t been on a family vacation in quite some time so these photos do truly give me wanderlust! I am thinking beaches and blue skies!
Same here…
Wow I am absolutely obsessed with traveling so this post hit home for me! I totally agree with Mark Twain said! Great post !!!!
Thank you. It spoke to me too.
I really like that lake setting. Our family always says my brother has wanderlust. He moves around a lot, travels all the time. It’s very inspiring.
Traveling changes your perception towards life! I totally agree with you that finding your wanderlust doesn’t mean you’ve to do international/domestic travel but even you can explore a different community in your area and explore its uniqueness!
I like the all those house design and I’m glad that you were able to amble around and get to interact with the locals of the community which I guess one of the rewards that you’ll get when you travel. By the way, you owned beautiful photos. Thank you so much for sharing!
I loved this because I love to travel! I always have such a case of wanderlust after a great trip!
I constantly have wanderlust! The only problem is my husband doesn’t. 🙁
Some beautiful pictures.. Thank you for sharing! I need to travel more!
I love travel and exploring this beautiful world! There’s still so many places I’ve yet to visit!
Traveling and exploring new food, arts, and cultures open our eyes to how vast the world is. It gives us knowledge of how others live their journey.
❀ Grace ❀
I recently made a free printable guide to creating a perfect day trip. I totally agree! While I am a travel blogger based in Europe, I understand that for a lot of my readers, a day trip to a cute Spanish town is not as easy. However there are so many new places that we can all explore very close to us! In general, getting out and experiencing something new is always good!
I have wanderlust bad year round! I’ve lived in 5 states in 6 years and am always looking for the next adventure! I love the quotes in this post.
Haha! You are quite the mover. 🙂
I haven’t travelled in a while so I would have to put together pictures from like five years ago ahah I do miss traveling. New adventures are always so exciting
Really love the house & Churches in US, beautiful in its own way. The design is really different from the houses in Singapore.
Beautiful photos! I love it that you found so much beauty not far from home. Absolutely love it! Exploring local is harder than going on some super famous location