I Had Some Things I Had To Chase

It was happening again.

I was sitting in my cubicle, minding my own business, when this sudden wave of panic hit.  What was I doing here? This was not where I was meant to be.  Life was out there, happening, passing me by.  There were countries, cities, lakes, forests, buildings that I had yet to explore, and I was spending my time sitting behind a computer screen. 

 I had to go

This feeling goes by many names.  Wanderlust, travel bug, the itch, but whatever you call it, you know it when you feel it.  That wave of panic.  That feeling that starts in your gut and quickly spreads throughout your entire body.  That inescapable, undeniable desire to go somewhere new, see something that takes your breath away, experience a change.  This is the feeling that struck me as I sat at work, acting normal, doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing.  This is the feeling that, after months and months of pushing it down, explodes out of me once or twice a year at the least.

I wish that this was the post telling you I have quit my job to take up a permanent place on the road, but alas, that is not what this is.  It is, however, a post to tell you that I have booked a flight to Canada.

While Canada may fall flat when compared with the foreign lands you were initially imagining, it is nevertheless something new.  I am a little embarrassed to admit that, although I was born and raised in the US, I have never made my way to Canada.  As I had a week’s worth of time off saved and a bite sized budget, Canada seemed like the perfect option for a much needed mini adventure.

Initially the plan was to take a solo trip to Montreal, Quebec City, and Toronto, but as every traveler knows, the initial plan never looks the same as the final one.  After weeks of researching flights, hotels, attractions, etc., a new plan formed, and with it came a travel buddy.  I am now going to be spending a week in Victoria and Vancouver, with a short stop in Seattle.  My mom, who also happens to be my favorite travel companion, is coming along.

I am hoping that a week in Canada is enough to ward off the wanderlust for at least another few months (or the end of another semester, as it seems that is how I measure my life these days).  Having travel planning to occupy my brain has already subdued the urge to run away during my lunch breaks, and that in itself is a victory.