This past spring, I left one of the most transient cities I’ve ever lived in; every few years, entire apartments and office buildings turn over, and a fresh crop of hopeful newcomers arrives in Washington, DC. Of course, there are plenty of career folks in town, and people working outside the government, but my take on my year in DC was that everyone was a short-timer, and those transient residents did not want or need new friends. Feeling temporary myself, I made little effort to settle in, and 2016 ended up being one of the loneliest years of my life as I insisted on leaving the city every chance I got.
The funny thing is that I thought I loved impermanence and being on the move. For decades, I dreamed of moving and, even more radically, of becoming nomadic in some form. I am so comfortable traveling and making myself feel at home all over the world that I thought this was the life that suited me best, not the stable, boring, predictable life I had.
Could I have been wrong all along? For that year, at least, I suffered without good friends. I pined for my familiar, tiny grocery store. I became cranky without all my belongings. I realized I had grown roots that were way deeper and stronger than I knew, and when I cavalierly ripped them out of their home soil, I killed something I had undervalued.
So we left DC and resettled more permanently in yet another place, and some of those tethers and connections have begun to repair themselves. I have formed an eclectic group of friends and have grown fond of my house, my neighborhood, and my new city at large. So why am I suddenly, eagerly reading articles about vanlife and people in motor homes with an alarming level of interest? Is that foot that is always poised over the threshold responsible for the weeks-long European road trip I recently put together for the fall?
In the middle of all this thinking about transience and fickleness, berating myself for my grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side attitude, I happened across an article on the so-called “wanderlust gene,” a mutation of the DRD4 gene that helps control dopamine and, thus, learning and reward. If the desire to explore and roam does lie within our genome, it may be the DRD4-7r variant that is the cause of our restlessness, according to dozens of studies that have been published in the last few years, and an astonishing 20% of us might carry it. I like this idea! It’s not a character flaw; it’s in my genetic makeup to seek change and movement!
As I ponder the reasons for always wanting to be where I am not, I leave you with these photos of some of the most transient people on earth – the nomads who live on the Mongolian steppe – and their portable homes. They have moved four times since I left them last summer, and I’ve almost kept up with them, leaving two houses and moving to a third in that time. I plan to stay put for at least another season, but after that anything’s fair game!
CompassAndCamera said:
Lex! This is such a great post. I can relate on so many levels. Really compelling that there might actually be a wanderlust gene. If so, I’m certain it runs in my family! Great thoughts on your experience in D.C. Happy to hear you’re feeling more “rooted” where you are now. But I agree — with roots planted, the desire to move/travel/roam is often stronger than ever. I’m dealing with that myself right now! Can’t wait to hear more about your fall road trip!
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Kelly! Yeah, it’s a never-ending back-and-forth feeling – wanting to belong and settle in, and then the minute that happens, to want to bust loose again! I’d love to find out if there really is a biological reason behind all this craziness!
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leggypeggy said:
We don’t have travel constantly. Staying in one place is sometimes a good thing.
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lexklein said:
Oh, I absolutely agree. I often crave stability and am a natural “nester,” but then a switch inevitably turns on in my brain, and I want to head out the door for a while again.
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leggypeggy said:
Know the feeling.
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Green Global Trek said:
I often feel the same strange push pull between having a home base and being nomadic. Having a base means having an actual closet, a place to keep stuff… and come home to, but also repairs, bills and responsibility. Bring nomadic is extremely freeing but can also be tiring and even though home was were ever we were, I sometimes felt “homeless.” Love the photos you chose for the narrative.
A gene predisposing one to travel? Wow fascinating info. Yup I definitely got THAT gene!
Sorry 2016 was such a rough year for you Lex, but rough ones are always followed by great ones!
Wondering what trip you have planned….
Peta
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lexklein said:
I figured most of my blog community would feel similarly! Your path has been different, but you guys deal with the same feelings, just in different chunks. From the outside, it seems you deal with it all so beautifully!
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Jolandi Steven said:
Mmmmm, a “wanderlust gene”. Now that may well explain a lot!
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lexklein said:
Yes! I feel strangely comforted by the idea that I am pre-programmed to have these mental conflicts!
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J.D. Riso said:
I read about that gene years ago, and years before that my grandmother always joked about my sister and I having “the gene”. Her great-grandmother was a gypsy, and this was recently confirmed by a DNA test. It would be interesting to know if nomadic cultures have a higher rate of this gene.
Anyway…your DC sojourn was a good taste of the true nomadic life. Unless you make huge efforts to socialize or have a job outside the home, you are alone. Every place you go, you have to once again seek out shops and every kind of service that you may need. And if you’re going to a foreign country, you will need to find those that you can communicate with and who are trustworthy and competent. Possessions must be drastically reduced, or you deal with the major hassle of dragging them around with you everywhere. A lesson Monsieur Riso never did learn and is dealing with right at this moment…while I sit back and shake my head.
The grass is not really so much greener anywhere else, it’s just a different shade of green. 😉
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lexklein said:
One of the articles I read did talk about the gene’s role in human migration, so my bet is gypsies and nomads do carry this variant more than others. But that’s just a guess.
In DC, I got a job at American University, which you would have thought would expose me to like-minded people, but I was too crabby to make more than an occasional happy hour effort. And while this smacks of excuse-making, I have always found it more fun to rebuild my daily life (shops, services, etc) overseas than in a new U.S. city, but I have to admit that task is more daunting in a foreign country for sure. And now you will start again yourself … enjoy your new shade of green in France and beyond!
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J.D. Riso said:
Haha. Thanks. At least I can communicate at a normal level in France. 🙂
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Dave Ply said:
I can see how wanderlust could be genetic, but I wonder if it might extend beyond physical travel? Perhaps that’s why, in addition to enjoying seeing the world, I have a tendency to collect various hobbies and interests that are more local or cerebral in nature. For example, lately I’ve been studying up on the fine art of BBQ…
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lexklein said:
BBQ seems to be the new craft beer. Here in Texas, you can only imagine the variation and innovation that are proliferating in the area of seasoned and sauced meats! I can’t speak to the gene’s role in hobby collection, but it’s linked to curiosity, so you may be onto something!
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wheresjwo said:
Maybe that explains why I have so many hobbies I don’t ever sleep!
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Mabel Kwong said:
It’s interesting to hear D.C. is a place where people come and go, or at least parts of it from what you’re describing. I’ve heard it’s one of the coldest places in the States, don’t know how true that is. Sometimes people move to a place to feel and see where they want to go…and it sounded like it just wasn’t what you wanted.
I’m not sure if I could move as much as the nomads in Mongolia. They have it so simple…and maybe this is how all of us should be approaching life.
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lexklein said:
DC’s transient nature is directly linked to its being the capital, so every time the administration changes, all the political flunkies move in and out. (Another reason I did not love DC; I am just not a political creature!) DC is not terribly cold; I’d call it temperate. It has four seasons, but winter is not awful, and summers are actually very hot and humid. My long-time home, Chicago, IS one of the coldest places, though!
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Bama said:
There was this blog called The Wanderlust Gene that I’ve been following since my early years of blogging — unfortunately it was last updated in 2014. Now that name really makes sense! I second Peta about the push and pull between having a home base and being nomadic. During those six-month trip I did two years ago there were times when I was wondering whether constantly traveling was something I wanted. But now, having settled into my current job, I feel like I should hit the road more often than what I’ve been doing in the past year.
Wherever life takes you (or DRD4-7r pushes you), I hope you enjoy every single journey you make, Lex.
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Bama – I love that last sentence! It really makes me feel better to have all my connections with fellow travel bloggers because you get it. My everyday friends and family find my peripatetic nature annoying sometimes. Has it really been two years since you and James set off on your big adventure? That seems impossible! I think we all go in spells – some long trips, some short getaways, and then those times when we keep our noses to the grindstone to finance the other stuff!
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Bama said:
Part of the reason why I love blogging is because of those very connections you mentioned.
I know! Time really flies. I can’t wait for a time when I do something similar. But for the time being, three to four trips a year will do.
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Sue Slaght said:
I love that this could be a genetic predisposition! Oh to be afflicted is a wonderful state. I like to think of myself as a wanderer, content wherever I land but I have a strong pull to these kids and grandkids. I so admire your adaptability in moving so often. I shall look forward to your adventures ahead.
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lexklein said:
You are kind to describe me as adaptable! I feel like I’m a big crab every time I make a new transition. In any case, I like the word wanderer for me as well; it would be hard to be more than a few time zones away from my kids, and I’m sure I will feel the tether even more strongly if/when grandchildren arrive!
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Sue Slaght said:
Oh yes I must say that tether grew quite tight when Grandbaby arrived. I wont be staying home but I feel her tugging at my heart strings when I’m away. Thanks goodness for technology like Face time and Skype.
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Alison and Don said:
I have no doubt I have this gene and that I got it from my mother who organised dad into 3 extended (read 6 – 12 months) trips overseas for which he was very grateful but would never have instigated himself. Although Don was the one to suggest we become nomadic, it was earlier travels that I nudged him into that awoke his wanderlust gene. I’m not feeling restless at the moment having just eased back into a home in Vancouver (I’ll post about it eventually) – but just give it time lol. I find it isn’t place that keeps me rooted so much as family, wherever they may be – a Skype call does wonders for me! Interesting post Lexie. I’d heard of this gene thing, but hadn’t looked into it. I know the last year or so has been difficult for you so I’m glad to hear you’ve found a place to settle that feels good.
Alison
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Alison. I am finding the settling in much more pleasant and fun these days! That’s why I was so surprised to find myself gravitating toward all these articles and posts about nomadic life again. I guess it’s nothing new for me, but the synchronicity of finding that wanderlust gene article a few days later was just too much!
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restlessjo said:
Thank you for finding that I don’t suffer from a discontented nature, Lexie. Well, not a lot 🙂 🙂
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lexklein said:
Yes, I think all of us wanderers can relax and blame it all on biology now! 🙂
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badfish said:
I grew up just down highway 40 from DC, never realized it was so transient because just down the road from DC, people are born, live, and die within a 12-mile radius and their idea of “adventure travel” is a week in Ocean City, MD. No wonder I had to move away from there.
I love there is/or may be a mutant gene, DRD4-7r. I am so completely different than all others in my family…I must be a mutant on some level…or adopted. This “one foot out the door” thing has been my reality since I can remember. Thing is–now, I’m feeling less and less like I need to get out and keep doing that “moving on” thing. Like this summer, for instance, I’m feeling guilty I did not travel to some place I had never been, some place I could write about in my blog. But I’m sitting in a rice field in Bali. Content. So maybe the DRD4 variant wears itself out after so many years of ruining (oops, Freudian slip…that’s running) your life??? Where did you read about this gene?
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lexklein said:
I might argue that Ocean City IS adventure travel, at least what I remember from my Bethany Beach, DE days as a kid! OC was the wild place, man!
I wondered where you might be these days! Sitting in Bali sounds pretty great (again). As for my reading, there was a long article in The New Yorker magazine about van life (or #vanlife, as the Instagram meme goes) and I was transfixed by the whole thing. I looked up some of the people online, and that led me to a mention of the gene, which I then further investigated. If it’s for real, it explains a lot!
Enjoy your time off, and whenever you do write again, I will enjoy reading it!
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awtytravels said:
I suppose you can have a bit of both, I mean yearning for travelling and being on the move but also having someplace you can get back to roost, can’t you? I, for instance, like embarking on a journey, but I’m also growing fond of my home (especially my living room and the balcony) and of the town high street… I suppoe you coulld reconcile both elements in the DRD4 variant, can’t you? Maybe, Lexi, you’ve found variant DRD4-7s!
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lexklein said:
I think the pull of a home base, and the push of a wandering heart need to coexist for sure. The lack of that tension would weaken both experiences; it might make life a little easier sometimes, but it’s certainly more fun and exciting to have the duality!
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darwinontherocks said:
I tend to believe there is also a wanderlust gene. Some people are so happy once they have settled down while other always think the grass is greener somewhere else. I’ve noticed that I can be fine for a few years at a specific place (I would say between 2 and 3) and then I have the urge to change. It applies to my career as well. I think some people do need change, and it’s not a bad things but can be quite tricky especially if you have kids, family, …
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lexklein said:
Ahhh, that last part … yep, it was a lot easier to change locations and jobs before the husband and kids came along! Luckily, they are all adaptable types as well, although some like to stay put a bit more than I do and don’t seem to have the same NEED to pick up and go. They all love to travel, but only one of my sons and I truly have signs of this type of gene. Life is a juggling act, so sometimes I need to defer to others’ life preferences, I guess!
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Shelley @Travel-Stained said:
This really resonated with me! I have also always pictured a life constantly on the move, and at some point wanted to live in a new city, country, place for 2 years at a time. Of course that didn’t happen, and though I’ve been settled in Seoul for 9+ years now, I still feel a bit of that emptiness of transient connections. Expats are always on the move and I’ve had so many friends come and go over the years… it’s definitely the most challenging part of this kind of lifestyle.
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lexklein said:
I never really thought about being on the “being left” end of transience since I have been the one leaving the last few times. That would be hard!
I also think there’s some sort of equilibrium or tipping point on how hard moving or separating is. Sometimes I think if I had moved every few years, it would have been easier than the huge ripping away that I felt after decades of being in one spot. Maybe I’m wrong, but it did feel much easier to make the second move after much less time. Then again, with only a few years in any given place, maybe I’d never get that comfortable feeling of really having a home. Aarrgghh – it’s tough no matter what when you have a wandering spirit, I guess!
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Curt Mekemson said:
Great post Lexi. And I loved reading the responses from your followers, many who have also become blogging friends of mine. I’ve written a lot about wandering since it is such an integral part of who I am. I’ve done enough genealogy to learn that wanderlust is deeply ingrained in our family. Both sides came to America in the early years and immediately started wandering. When I am researching a new area for my ancestors, I always start with the pioneers! My brother doesn’t have a home. He has been traveling constantly for the past ten years by himself, and is happier than he has ever been. Peggy and I have our home out in the woods, which we picked up after three years of constant travel. It’s something of a compromise between my need to wander and her need to be more settled. Lately she has been talking about hitting the road again, however. 🙂 –Curt
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lexklein said:
That’s fascinating about your ancestors; I have no idea if my relatives felt the need to wander, but on one side they are recent immigrants, so I guess that’s a pretty big wander! Also interesting about Peggy – you must be rubbing off on her and vice versa, since you seem to be pretty happy in your house in the woods!
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Curt Mekemson said:
Peggy and I do a lot of influencing each other. 🙂 Thank goodness.
I really fell in love with genealogy, Lexi. It tells a lot about who we are. –Curt
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Liesbet said:
Finding the right balance between comfort and adventure is tough when you have itchy feet. Of course, being a transient myself, I totally understand your wanderlust and what you are going through so often. When we were on our sailboat exploring tropical islands over water, I wished I was in a camper traveling overland. When I am house sitting in cold New England, I wish I was house sitting in Mexico. When we travel from place to place to see friends and family – exhausting and hard to combine with work and commitments – I wish I was settled in a comfortable house with all amenities possible. Now, I am pretty happy with our lifestyle, as long as we can house and pet sit in areas that excite and interest us. I think this way of life – house and pet sitting – offers a healthy balance. It might be something for you, Lexie! We always have one foot in and one foot out the door of the home we are staying in! 🙂
Planning your next trip is the next best thing to being on that trip. Something to look forward to in the fall!!!
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lexklein said:
So much truth in that last sentence in particular! I LOVE planning my travel and often get the same high out of that part as I do out of the trip itself! For a month or so recently, I was obsessed with every little detail of our upcoming road trip. Now I’ve let it sit for a little bit and will return to tie up last-minute loose ends and details closer to the trip (in September). Your life really is one of the most transient I can imagine beyond living in a motor vehicle of some kind, but you do get those creature comforts as part of it – they just change every few weeks or months! Kind of the best of both worlds. I love reading about your stays, but I’m not sure if I could do it or not.
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shoreacres said:
I guess I’m the outlier here, since I’m not ready to buy into a wanderlust gene. It’s too easy, too pat: too simplistic an explanation for human preferences and behavior — at least, for me.
On the other hand, I’ve been rooted, and I’ve roamed, and I know the call of the road. If earlier life decisions hadn’t left me in the position of having to keep working now — and being short on both disposable income and time — who knows what I’d be up to. There’s nothing quite so painful as wanting to travel, and not being able to.
But external constraints have taught me this truth: we can travel far, or we can travel deep. The travel I’ve managed in the past decade has been in some ways more satifying than my saling, or my travels around Africa and Europe. And there certainly is something special about learning all the seasons of one good place: an experience that’s impossible for someone constantly on the move. When it comes to travel, every option brings its own rewards.
There is one thing I’ve always thought odd about myself. Wherever I am, I call it “home.” I still remember the night in McAlester, Oklahoma, when i excused myself from a dinner that was running very, very late into the night, and told my aunt I was going to go home. She thought I meant Texas, but I only meant the LaQuinta down the road.
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lexklein said:
Oh, contrary to my bringing up the gene, I’m not necessarily convinced of its role either! It was quite tongue-in-cheek to say that I was thrilled biology explained my dual needs to nest and wander; I just don’t think genes can control all aspects of our personalities that way. Too much “nurture” and conditioning and all that other external stuff to attribute physical markers to all behavior, I believe.
However, the variant does exist, and its presence in a cross-section of wandering peoples is interesting to me (and others who feel that tendency to roam). Just coming from a family in which some of my siblings and some of my children are quite happy to stay put makes me believe there is something innate that fuels the itch to roam, but that may be something as random as my love of reading, which opened me up to far-flung places and people, and perhaps pushed me out into the world to see them in person. Who knows?! Ultimately, I think there’s a lot of both influences – internal and external – that are at work.
As for “home,” I do the same thing you mentioned! Many, many times I have referred to a hotel as home; I think for me home might be where I lay my head at night and keep my belongings, in whatever quantity that might be at any given time!
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twobrownfeet said:
This post truly resonated with me. 🙂 We’ve been sailing on a similar boat — on opposite sides of the globe. Even if, I’ve always preferred being a recluse, the loneliness and isolation of being in a new ‘place’ is the most difficult part of the stay. Like Shelley mentioned, friends come and go and you’ve just got to make your peace with it. For introverts, it can be all the more hard because you have to start from scratch. Oddly enough, when we travel those feelings disappear. We’re meeting new people, visiting new places, and are always on the move. Maybe, the gene makes a lot of sense when you compare the two situations. It’s a year since you visited Mongolia! Fantastic images of a place I hope we can visit someday. 🙂
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lexklein said:
I agree that being on the move obviates (or simplifies) some of the feelings about watching friends leave and starting new friendships from scratch. When we are on the move, we feel no obligation to form or maintain tight connections right away, and maybe that’s protects our hearts from the inevitable leaving later. ??
Can you believe it’s been a year since I was in Mongolia and South Korea? That was such an amazing trip and even though I have a new one planned for this fall, I don’t feel as excited about it as I did that exotic outing last year!
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wheresjwo said:
I can’t believe you have been to Mongolia! The photos are awesome and work so well with your theme. I am a creature of habit who loves to travel so it is a very exciting yet anxiety ridden affair for me. Yet it doesn’t stop me from going.
DC is the only other American city I would love to live in. However, I never thought about the transient aspect. That’s very interesting.
Thank you for sharing the gene info!
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lexklein said:
Yes, Mongolia was one of my favorite trips ever! I have maybe 5-6 posts on it from last summer if you want to check them out. “Creature of habit who loves to travel” describes me exactly also! I don’t necessarily feel anxious about traveling, but I do feel pangs when I move on to the next thing. Then I settle in and start the whole cycle over again!
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thirdeyemom said:
This is such an excellent read Lexi. I constantly struggle with this issue. I love moving, seeing new places and traveling so much. Yet it is unrealistic as a mom raising a family and a husband working here to be able to pick up and be nomadic. I often wonder if that would ever be a lifestyle I want? I love having roots. I find change so hard that I don’t even like moving houses. Yet I feel trapped when I am here in one place too long. I get irritable and have to get out. I have always been like this. I am feel bad that you had a tough year but in retrospect it was perhaps a year of learning too. That is how I view it! I’m so glad you are enjoying Texas more and also that you planned a trip! I think I traveled a bit too much at the start of the year – 3 international trips by early May – and I’ve had a very difficult time readjusting to being back here. I’ve lived here too long. It is lovely but I take it for granted. Such is life!
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lexklein said:
Yes, such is life! And we have good ones, ones in which we have the stability many people need and want, as well as the ability to pick up and go almost at will. Our families and responsibilities may hold us back a bit, but overall we are freer than most people on earth to see the world. I get mad at myself sometimes for chafing at the bit when home for a long time and then getting cranky when I do finally get a chance to move! As you said, though, over time, I am at least learning what works for me!
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thirdeyemom said:
Yes that is why we travel too right Lexi? To realize and understand how incredibly fortunate we are to do so. What a gift.
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Bespoke Traveler said:
Weren’t we once all nomads before the great cities came into being? I too have this vacillation between yearning for a place to call home and wanting to wander. I’ve been happy to incorporate both in my life and find that there is a precarious balance between the two. Perhaps some of us will never resolve this tug of war, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
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lexklein said:
Your final point sums it up for me: slowly but surely, painful as it may be at times, I am learning to enjoy balancing on the seesaw of building a home and seeing the world. Like a cook, I am trying to get the proportions just right, so there are phases of under-seasoned, boring times at home and periods of overindulgence in the spiciness of travel!
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Bespoke Traveler said:
“There are phases of under-seasoned, boring times at home and periods of overindulgence in the spiciness of travel.” 😆 Loved how you phrased the experience! I suppose without the boring parts of life, we couldn’t appreciate the spicy ones.
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lisadorenfest said:
I absolutely love this post from the title to its conclusion! I definitely have that genetic mutation (DRD4-7r variant :-).
I think that while DC is transient, it may have lacked like-minded souls and a flair for the exotic that make your travels so enjoyable. Mongolia, Cuba, Nepal DC is not.
It is amazing that you have moved almost as many times as the Mongolian tribes that you visited. And another exciting move to come in the fall, albeit only a temporary one in Europe. Hoping you have a fifth one in SE Asia shortly thereafter 🙂
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Lisa! Isn’t it interesting to read about this gene and its possible link to wanderers? I think the DC stint was full of so many negative factors that I’ll never separate all of them and identify what exactly made it so miserable, but I’m over it now! In fact, when I went back last month to visit my daughter (who now lives 4 blocks from where I did), I felt nostalgic. That is so me! Hating it for a year then feeling attached once I am gone! So dumb.
I am so eager to set off on our little ramble around central Europe this fall. And if the dog’s health and everything else in the universe aligns, maybe I’ll get that 5th big trip in there, too!
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lisadorenfest said:
Well I’m glad that you’ve found peace with DC now as a visitor rather than resident. There are so many cities that I adore but very few I would want to call home.
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Hoarder Comes Clean said:
I love the idea of a travel-gene, but if there really is one, it must skip a generation or two from time to time. I remember how my father loved our little town and didn’t like to leave it. I always had a hard time defining home. In the end I think it’s wherever my loved ones are. Have a wonderful next-trip!
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lexklein said:
Thanks! I think I love traveling so much because I know I have a home to return to. Without both, I would not appreciate either one as much!
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AndysWorldJourneys said:
great post! 🙂 great read!
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Andy. If there really is such a gene, I’m pretty sure you have it, too!
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gallivance.net said:
Lexie, this post verbalizes what most serious travelers struggle with at some point or another in their lives. Our phrase for this is: “We travel hard and then settle hard.” We loved the lifestyle but after our umpteenth move we eventually decided that there had to be a better (and easier) way. For us, that was to establish a base that we could leave easily. That way, we weren’t always re-inventing the wheel, and it’s worked great for us. But, as you know, everyone is different and the important thing is to be happy with your decisions and tweak the process from time to time. ~James
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lexklein said:
After some trial and error, I think this is what we are ultimately shooting for as well. I am feeling quite settled these days, but as that has happened, I feel the flutter of future travel starting to beat inside me once again. It’s all good, though – no consternation or frustrations these days as we balance the competing forces! When are you off for your next adventure?
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Madhu said:
Aah, all us travellers are similarly afflicted Lex. And no one’s complaining, except perhaps our extended families. Like you, I was surprised to discover how rooted I really am even though I fancy myself a footloose wanderer. That is why I’ll never be able to take the plunge into a nomadic lifestyle much as I dream about it. Being connected to my grandkids means as much to me at the moment as my travels, even as restlessness sets in when I am home too long.
Glad you are working towards finding a balance. Curious to know where your wanderlust gene takes you next.
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lexklein said:
I have also learned (somewhat to my dismay!) that I might not be suited to a more nomadic existence. My kids keep me rooted within short flight or driving distance, and my parents do on the other end of the generational spectrum as well. Grandkids, if/when they arrive, will certainly make those bonds even tighter!
I am off with my husband (an anomaly! haha) to do a road trip with many stops for hiking in Central and Eastern Europe in mid-September. It will be a lovely escape from the heat and humidity of south Texas and a chance to get back into some altitude! How about you?
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Pingback: Transient, Fickle, or Genetically Mutant? — One Foot Out the Door – THE REAL CYBERGEDDON
Agness of aTukTuk said:
Such a great read, Lex! I always learn something new from you!
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lexklein said:
Thanks! It was a fun read for me, too, when I found it. Not sure I’m 100% buying it, but it sounds about right!
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LDG luciledegodoy said:
Lexie, what an interesting post.
You’ve covered so many facets of your different phases of ‘nomadism’ that I can relate to.
The need for connection is not necessarily excluded from the need to move. And as we go through life, and the bonds strengthen, we don’t want to be so far away from them.
I found the discovery of this gene fascinating. Have you considered to test if you have it?
I’d love to know if I do, as to understand my restlessness and desire to move to new places, and go all over the world. I’ve lived in six cities, three countries and two continents. I feel settled now, as to where to live, but still want to travel around the world, as much as I can.
Thank you so much, really great post.
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Lucile! I’d love to know if I have the gene, but whether I do or not, I know I’ll always have the restless feeling about seeing new places. You have moved around a lot! I had one very long stint in one place, and I never realized how that stability allowed me to roam so happily over the years. But I’m back to having a home base now, so that old feeling of wanderlust is back!
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LDG luciledegodoy said:
I bet you have it. I have moved around for study or work but never as you did, and that’s still a dream. You’re my role model.
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