Wanderlust: A Strong Desire to Travel - German
Humanity has been on the move since the day he stood up
For the last two weeks, we have been wandering around the vast lands that the act of walking has brought us. Writing these newsletters has always been extremely exploratory for me, like a guide taking me to the wisdom of all the folks on Earth. But with these posts, I felt the Words of the World (WoW) had advanced a level in its evolution.
Words of the World, which I began writing briefly in May 2022 out of curiosity and a desire to explore words and concepts, and which can perhaps only be considered an experiment, has gradually become a passion for me. It's been a big part of my life. Almost every day of the week, I have a WoW-related task on my to-do list. Many tasks that I enjoy doing include research, reading, thinking about concepts, creating an outline, making a draft at the end, and editing multiple times.
I'm not sure where the life of WoW will go; perhaps it will continue in this manner indefinitely, until I'm done. I do not rush to any destination. The journey itself is enjoyable anyway; it already knows where it’s going, and I try to be good company.
Proceeding from where we left off last week, we will think about the human need for movement and, perhaps, a desire for a change in environment this week. This time, we'll focus on an emotional and psychological concept:Â Wanderlust
Wanderlust is one of those words that everyone claims to have heard at some point, as it has inspired movies, books, and brands.
Wanderlust is a word of German origin. Etymologically, it is a combination of the words wandern (to hike) and lust (desire). Therefore, as expected, it means a passion for travel.
People's desire to travel to places other than where they currently live is a broad perspective that can have many causes, ranging from the human being's unbridled curiosity to the desire to escape the monotony or suffering of his current life. As a result, it has a lot to do with psychology.
Traveling nowadays is simply a matter of money and time. It is very easy to get anywhere in the world in a matter of hours. However, when travel was extremely difficult, people could not resist their desire to explore and traveled at the expense of enduring extremely difficult journeys. Many daring explorers, such as Marco Polo, Christoph Colomb, and Magellan, who risked their lives in extremely vulnerable ships against the adventures they embarked on, left their souls to the arms of travel and adventure. Even if we look at it superficially, this proves how strong human beings' desire to travel is.
Desire for Travelling Throughout the History
There are many interesting and novel needs or paths for travel. Here are a few examples:
In ancient times, wealthy Romans and Greeks had summer houses and villas in Pompei or Baiae, in Italy. Those are regarded as the first voyages in history.
Pilgrims routes were made for religious reasons to places like Santiago de Compostela, Canterbury, Jerusalem, and Mecca. Although pilgrimages can be made with modern vehicles today, it is known that these journeys were very troublesome and dangerous in the past.
The Silk Road is a trade route that transports valuable products, such as silk and spices, especially those produced and grown in China and India, to Europe. The road, spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), was a very important travel route that has been the subject of many stories and fairy tales throughout history.
European journeymen are an intriguing type of traveler. A journeyman was a skilled craftsperson who had more experience than an apprentice but less experience than a master. Journeymen traversed Europe to become masters of their trades. A master's degree typically took seven years to complete, so they traveled to learn from various masters while also working as craftspeople. Journeymen still exist, albeit in small numbers.
From the 17th century to the beginning of the 19th century, the travels of European nobles, especially to certain cities like Rome, London, and Paris for the purpose of education, were known as Grand Tour. Nobles, who were around 21 years old and usually male, used to increase their knowledge and culture by visiting the important cities of Europe, mostly accompanied by a tutor.
Modern tours began after traveling became easier with the industrial revolution. Thomas Cook created the first touristic tours in the form of today's tourism in 1841. Human travel became easier after WWII, with the development of aeronautical technology and ex-military pilots who were more than ready to fly.
A gap year, also known as a sabbatical year, is the period of time during which students take a break from their studies, generally after finishing high school or before beginning graduate school. Traveling is a typical activity that most people prefer. I didn’t have such a great opportunity, but I would love to.
The Pinnacle of Wanderlust: Being a Nomad
Wanderlust lives to its extremes in the mind of a nomad.
A way of thinking and living that accepts the entire world as a home for yourself, rather than choosing any part of the world as a home. Even though I feel close to this sort of life at times, the fact that I am a Cancer person is immediately apparent. Not without a home of my own. I can travel the world like a pair of compass needles. As long as one leg stays at home, the other one can wander around the world. I have no objection to that.
In the present era, with all forms of communication on the internet being highly developed, it is entirely possible to make money only if you have your own skills and access to the internet. Then you can indulge your desire to travel as much as you like.
Five years ago, I was working at a job that required me to travel to different parts of the world at least four times a year. Except for Antarctica and Australia, I've visited over 20 countries on all seven continents. I can confidently state that few things change, develop, and mature a person as much as travel. If reading is one of the best things you can do for yourself, seeing different cultures is another. Both are critical components of lifelong learning.
A Final Note
Traveling is enjoyable, but the constant consumption of oil in planes and cars while traveling is clearly a negative aspect of the industry. Increasing our reliance on oil, which is irreversibly destroying our planet, is the last thing we want. Following that, it may be prudent to select a more environmentally friendly type of vehicle for your journey.
Notes & Reads:
Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit is a must-read book about human movement and is primarily about walking, as I mentioned in the previous post. It's on my reading list.
Earthtrekker, a blog about traveling that is founded and operated by a group of travelers, offers 30 Amazing Travel Books to Feed Your Wanderlust. Some of the books I've read are excellent, and others are worth adding to your reading list.
Next post, our focus will remain on being and ‘living’ on Earth, but we'll head north a little.
Till next week.
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As always, what a pleasure to read your well researched word for this week. From Britain to France to Germany, you have indeed taken me wandering through your words. When one cant physically travel, travelling through words and books are the next best thing for a wandering soul. And ofcourse, some Rumi's words for comforting -"My soul is from elsewhere, I am sure of that, And I intend to end up there"
Thank you for this week's word! Cheers!
Thank you so much! Everyone is familiar with the strange question of whether one learns more by traveling or reading. Some people say books, while others say travel. As someone who enjoys both, I can confidently respond that I read while traveling.
Wish you a wonderful weekend!