Me, myself and a map

Wanderlust: [won-der-luhst] 

–noun

a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.

Mayday, it seems I have contracted a severe case of wanderlust. 

Symptoms: Daydreams of jetsetting to far-flung exotic lands, frantically saving every penny for an around-the-world airticket, watching the travel channel instead of Gossip Girl, gazing longingly at maps and atlases, frequently logging onto studentfilghts.com and writing blog posts about all the places you want to travel.

I can't trace a line back to the exact moment when I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life exploring the far corners of the earth like a female Colombus with a map in one hand and a passport in the other. It could have been when i was given my first world globe that spun around on a slanted axis and lit up from the inside. Or perhaps it was when my geography teachers began to paint descriptive masterpieces of this curious planet and her continents of diversity that are just waiting to dish out scoops of adventure. Although, I am almost certain that it was when my seventeen-year-old younger self planned, dreamed of and lived out her first overseas travel expedition all on her own. It was me, myself, a travel journal, a lot of overweight luggagae, and more adventures than I could count on both hands. 

It could have been whilst strolling through Centinniel park, riding around Adelaide on a bicycle in the rain, standing on the steps of the opera house, surfing Maroubra, eating my first macaroon, skiing the snowy mountains, riding the ferry, or standing on a mountain overlooking Hong Kong city by night, that I realised I had fallen in love with planet earth. 

Since boarding my first internatiol flight I have been a woman posessed by an urge to travel. It's all I want to spend my money on, and could think of little else that excites a greater sense of childlike awe than the world we live in.

So without further adew, I thought I'd vent some of my travel dreams in this post and wet my 'wanderlustic' appetite even more...

London

I want to walk down Oxford street with a Topshop bag in one hand and a Zara bag in the other whilst Big Ben's gong resounds in my ears. I want to buy a vintage leather jacket from the Portobello markets and take photos in front of Buckingham palace with the queen's guards. I want to drive through the country and make plans to buy and decorate my own cottage with all things 'Cath Kidston.' I want to ride in the tubes and toss a coin into a busker's hat after watching him strum in the station. I want to visit London. 

Berlin

I want to walk what's left of the Berlin wall whilst reading 'a dummy's guide to speaking German.' I want to go back in time and ponder the life stories at the Jewish Museum, then stroll around the Charlottenburg gardens on a sunny day. I want to sit on a bench, licking a Häagen-Dazs ice-cream and admire the architecture and pinch myself that I am in yet another country immersed in yet another different culture. 

Tuscany

I want to drive in a convertable on cobble-stoned roads that wind their way into the heart of the countryside whilst my hair floats in the Italian breeze. I want to lie under the Tuscan sun on a checkered picnic blanket and find hidden pictures in the clouds whilst a handsome italian boy pours me another glass of red wine. I want to spend days gorging on the richest pastas and pizzas and learn how to pronounce and then prepare different Italian foods. 

Paris

Want to take photos of Asians taking photos of the Eifel tower and then go to the very top of it and watch my first Parisian sunset. I want to substitute all my 'hello's' with 'bonjour's' and all my 'yes's' with 'wee's'. I want to eat obscene amounts of macaroons and croissants at trendy roadside cafe's whilst watching a beret-wearing artist paint the Notre Dame. I want to spend entire days lost in museums of fine art and then appreciate the art of fashion as I cash in my Euros for a Chanel handbag. I want to read a newly bought book in a park cluttered with Cherry Blossom trees and sigh as I realise I have lived the perfect day.

Switzerland

I want ski down the alps and then build a snow man kitted out with a scarf, gloves and a carrot-nose. I want to eat my weight in fine chocolate {preferrably dark} and sip hot-chocolate by the fire of a cottage in the mountains. I want to ice-skate over a frozen lake and wear layers of clothes that make me feel warm and snug. I want to see snow falling for the first time and marvel at the delicate intricacy of a snowflake. 

New York

I want to walk through central park, arm-in-arm with a good friend whilst we childishly sing "New York, New York" in deep voices wearing trendy coats and winter boots.

I want to put my arm in the air and actually see a yellow taxi pull up beside me. I want to stand at the foot of a colossal building and feel dizzy from it's height and then let Time Square mesmerise me at night. I want to buy an I Heart New York shirt and a Yankees cap just for the fun of it, and spend an entire day shopping in stilettos. 

I want to watch 'Grease' on Broadway and see Lady Liberty standing tall and poised. 

Canada

I want to go to secret gigs and discover a whole stack of new Indie Bands. I want to see a real live Polar Bear at Churchill and snowboard the Rocky Mountains. I want to eat a maple syrup pie whilst sipping on a hot cup of Red Rose tea. I want to sleep under an electric blanket and think to myself "is it even possible for it to get this cold?"

Melbourne

I want to drive to Melbourne and surf Bell's beach along the way. I want to stroll around the Finder's Keeper's market and delight myself in handmade crafts whilst reading Frankie Magazine. I want Hamish and Andy to make me giggle and the melodies of Triple J Radio to make my Indie-loving heart happy. I want to walk the stylish streets and stop to take a look at every quirky, trendy and amazing store on route, and then treat myself to a White Chocolate Chai at Max Brenner after a hard day's shopping. I want to drown in arts, crafts, music and culture and be inspired. 

California

I want to Longboard at Huntington in the summer, ride my bicycle along the promenade drinking some form of iced Starbucks beverage. I want to see the Hollywood sign up on the hill and then play 'Spot the famous person' as I walk the streets. I want to let my inner fashionista jump for joy along Sunset Boulevard and sip a frozen martini at a coctail bar whilst counting the number of Hummers and Limmos that drive past. 

I want to suntan on Laguna Beach whilst listening the sound of infinity pools from the mansions behind me. I want to drive with the windows down listening to 'California Girls' because it just seems to appropriate. 

Caribbean Islands

I want to snorkel over coral reef jungles and sail around islands that belong on the cover of postcards. I want to have lazy afternoons on a hammock under palm trees and live on a staple diet of freshly picked fruit. I want to go out dancing at night and do the Samba with local islanders and then sleep under a blanket of stars. I want my skin to be as bronzed as a brazillian beach babe and wear nothing but a bikini for days.

{All images: We Heart It}

And the list could go on for blog post after blog post. {watch this space for 'Wanderlust' - part 2, coming soon to a computer near you}