Wanderer.

Throughout my life, I've traveled quite a lot. It has always been pleasant and enjoyable, but I never realized just how much it has affected my personality, morals, and wants.

I fancy myself as a Bilbo Baggins style of person. My mother's family has always moved around quite a lot. Tracking her genealogy, it seems like her ancestors were moving to a new region every generation! As a child, she moved many times across many states. She's joked that she can tell how old she was at a certain period by thinking about what state she lived in.

My father is quite the opposite. His family arrived in a state in the mid 1700s. They never left. For 8 generations they lived in the same county, actually. My grandfather actually did not leave his house for nearly 40 years, though that was for reasons beyond being a home-body.

Then there's me--the Bilbo Baggins of this story. Anyone who's read The Hobbit knows that Bilbo, the main character, has a unique heritage. He's from the Shire, a place where it is not in the culture to go on great adventures, and his father was a Baggins (a proper and "good" hobbit), while his mother was a Took (who are known for their adventure-seeking and wildness). Throughout out the story, Bilbo tries to find harmony between his two halves.

Thus, we are the same. I am a half-breed, much like beloved Bilbo.

My family and I have gone on great month-long road-trips across the United States a number of times. Each one is precious to me. It is beautiful and life-changing to see so many people, places, and things. There is more to do in the world than any single person can do. It is impossible to do everything, even if you have every resource available to you. I think it is beautiful in a way. Nobody can see it all.

As I sit on my computer at home, I wish I was under the Big Sky of the West. I wish I was nestled and protected by the beautiful trees of the Smokies. I wish I was in a strange place with strange people, so similar to myself, but so different.

I wish I could feel the relief of returning to a familiar state and hearing a similar accent for the first time in weeks. I wish I could sit under the night sky and see stars that number more than I can count. I wish I was on the side of a canyon or in an ocean of grass.

Wanderlust has taken me and its hard to get get it out of my mind--nay, my heart. I'm getting old and life is catching up to me. In a few years, simply deciding to go on a trip may not be an option.

Despite all of this, I stay at home. I love my corner and my room. I love my dog. I love simplicity. Adventure isn't always simple, though it has a place in my heart.