Wanderlust
Entry posted by simplybill in My Life
317 views
Wanderlust:
•A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.
•A natural impulse to change of place; a craze for travel.
(The American Heritage Dictionary)
I vividly remember the first time I experienced ‘wanderlust’. There’s a sand quarry just north of Des Moines, Iowa, alongside Interstate 80. During my high school years (50+ years ago) the quarry was surrounded by forest and farm fields, very secluded and very quiet except for the hum of traffic from the nearby highway. On the weekends it was a gathering place where high schoolers had parties and sat around on the sandy beach next to the quarry lake.
The quarry was just a few miles from the home I grew up in. On warm summer evenings I’d sometimes walk to the quarry to hang out with my friends. When I came to the bridge that crossed the Interstate, I’d stand there in the middle of the bridge, mesmerized, gazing out at the road and the traffic that sped by below me and disappeared in the faraway distance. That’s when the ‘wanderlust’ hit me like a powerful magnet, like the tractor beams on Star Trek that captured and held spaceships in its grasp.
It was a real struggle for me, resisting the urge to simply walk down to the shoulder of the highway and stick out my thumb and hitchhike to wherever the road took me. I carefully contemplated the pros and cons of being a juvenile runaway with no money and no extra clothes besides the clothes on my back, and it all sounded so wonderful, so exciting, a great adventure! But even so, what kept me from giving in to that unrealistic teenage dream was the thought of how much trouble I’d be in with my parents when I had to call them from a phone booth in some faraway city to tell them I was ready to come home.
After graduating high school I made a valiant attempt to be normal. I got a job washing dishes in a restaurant, and two years later I was the restaurant manager. But the ‘sameness’ weighed on me. The everyday routine was a burden that made me feel trapped and sad.
Finally, in 1976, I accepted the fact that everyday normal-ness just wasn’t working for me. I got rid of my belongings except for the few things that fit in my car, I said goodbye to family and friends, and I moved out West. It was the beginning of a lifelong adventure.
I got a job in a warehouse that led to my job as a truck driver delivering produce to remote towns in the mountain canyons of Utah and across the prairies of Wyoming and Montana.
I remember one tiny mining town high up in the Uinta Mountain Range where the roads were dusted with black coal dust, almost an inch deep in some places. The small, ancient grocery store I delivered to had wooden floors with ruts worn into the boards from the townsfolk doing their shopping over the years. Steely-eyed coal miners came in wearing lanterned hard hats, with coal dust on their work boots and jeans and on their leathery faces. I felt as though I’d been transported back in time a century or two.
Years later, when the government deregulated the trucking industry and my truckdriving job came to an end, I just happened to be dating a Delta flight attendant that I’d met at church. She suggested I go to a group interview with Continental Airlines being held at a hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. That interview led to 31 years as a flight attendant, and traveling to exotic places all over the world.
Being a Christian, I read the Bible every day. One day I read a Bible verse that jumped off the page and made me realize that the way my life has turned out maybe wasn’t just an accident:
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4
The world needs truck drivers and flight attendants, and the happiest truck drivers and flight attendants are those who have a natural inclination to travel. It’s the same with accountants that enjoy working with numbers, and financial advisors who enjoy watching Market trends, and mechanics who thrive on repairing and maintaining cars: our lives are meant to have a purpose, and in His mysterious ways God draws us to where we’re meant to be.
Not long ago, I had errands to run in the ‘big city’ about 50 miles from the acreage where I live now. I keep maps and hiking clothes and an extra pair of shoes in my Jeep so that when I’m on the road and I see a hiking trail, I can jump out and go for a walk in the woods. That day, my impromptu hike was in a state park that I’d read about but never been to.
It was a beautiful day for exploring the trails and the riverbank of the Raccoon River. The water level was very low, so I watched for arrowheads and other Native-American artifacts among the smooth river rocks.
As I was searching the riverbank, I happened to look up and see a couple of airplanes departing from the nearby airfield. I’m retired now, but my love for travel and exploring the world has never waned. I stood there on the riverbank and felt a wave of gratitude for the life I’ve been given.
Edited by simplybill
4 Comments
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now