Wanderlust

I know I'm supposed to be taking pictures of the progress that Jeff and I have been making on our house, progress I believe I promised to capture a few weeks ago, but today I felt like posting something totally different. Something that encapsulates my desire to see everything. Does anyone else ever feel like this? Does anyone else feel like one day they might pick up and move to another country? Pack your most treasured belongings in a backpack and roam the world? Because I do. I'm not saying that it's something I'd do in reality; I mean, I've just spent the last few months putting down roots, but I definitely have that wanderlust inside me to just go places.

There are so many places I want to see in my lifetime, so many things I want to try. I joke around with Jeff when we're watching a show like House Hunters International and it's set someplace I want to go that it's now on 'the list'. Jeff is a little leery of the infamous 'list' because he knows it will mean spending some money getting there, he is ever the Dutchman in that regard. One of the things I love most about Jeff is that he's not afraid to let me dream - he doesn't mind (not too much anyways) that I have this pull deep down inside me that wants to see the world. He loves to travel. He makes for a rather excellent travelling companion for me, because when I start to drift off into a daydream he keeps me rooted on solid ground with words and phrases like; map, directions, and, my personal favorite, 'what did that last sign say?' I feel like travelling today, so I went on Pinterest and went a little overboard pinning places I want to see. It was so fun to travel around the world in my office for a little while today, it so enjoyable that I thought I'd write about it. I also thought that I would write down some of the places that I want to go here in my blog. For now, I'll just share my top five places on my list.

First up on my list is Ireland and Scotland. Yes, I'm aware that I've listed two places, but I want to see them both in one trip. Jeff and I recently decided that we want to honeymoon for one week in Ireland and one week in Scotland. It's always been a dream of mine to go to both places, one reason being my Irish heritage, and another being my obsession with anything Celtic. I know a lot of people opt to go to a beach for their honeymoon, and I totally see why, but after the trip Jeff and I had in Europe, I realized that we needed an adventure. I love exploring old towns, hiking through castles, and snapping pictures of beautiful and mystic landscapes. Just looking at that picture makes me want to hop on a plane, camera in hand, but I can wait two years... hopefully...

After Ireland and Scotland, my list of places to go is less defined, but I'm pretty sure next on my list would be New Zealand. There is something about the green mountains and beautiful beaches that is really intriguing.  The diversity is incredible. It's a place I've always wanted to go after listening to my Dad tell me stories of adventures he and my grandfather had in Australia and New Zealand during the year they spent living there. And by the way, how cool would spending a year in Australia have been?

Not surprisingly, Australia is next on my list. I'm dying to see koala bears, kangaroos, the Outback, and the beaches of Australia, The Great Barrier Reef, as well as the Opera House, and the church that my parents were married in. They recently took a trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and I have to admit I would have loved to go too!

Another place on my ever-expanding 'list' is Italy. The food, coastline, gelato, gondola rides, as well as the old towns and architecture place it high up on my list. You don't forget a trip like that. :) What could be more romantic?

It's really hard for me to pinpoint the last place I want to mention here today. I think about places like China, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Iceland, and Bora Bora, but I keep settling on British Columbia. It's a place Jeff's never been before, and a place that I've been before and loved. I happen to be a believer that there are many wonderful places in Canada to see, and British Columbia is, of course, at the top of the list. I think it's pretty clear that I have a thing for cliffs and mountains. :)

The world is a book, 

and those who do not 

travel read only a page. 

- St. Augustine