Today I invited my friend Ronnie to share her thoughts on wanderlust and the power of having roots. Be sure to go over to her blog to say a quick hello!
Sweet summertime. Iced Coffee, salty skin, messy hair, over-worn sundresses, and days filled with playlists and plans. Are ya with me? It creeps up ever so slowly and then is gone in a moment, leaving behind retraced memories and hints of a tan. One way that we know it is finally upon us is when festival season starts. Coachella is a source of inspiration for bloggers across the board and perhaps a source of frustration for those of us with thinner wallets. But it sparks something in all of us… the desire for laid-back summer fun… the desire for adventure. Wanderlust.
We want to TRAVEL and EXPLORE! There are so many untouched sunflower fields, never before tasted foods (y e s), and countless landscapes that our eyes are dying to see. So we just go – Polaroids and carry-ons in hand. We make those memories! Develop those tans! Take plenty of pictures of our sandaled feet! And head home. But does this wanderlust trendever truly fade? When the heat subsides, are we ever left feeling 100% satisfied with where we have been and where we are now? Is there a chance that maybe we are missing something? That maybe going isn’t always the answer? From someone who has had their life uprooted for the past 4 years, I say the answer is yes.
I say that there is adventure and fun in going, but there is beauty and power in staying. Now I’m not saying don’t travel! Explore your little hearts out! I sure will! But at the end of the day remember that even wildflowers need roots to survive.
Staying means allowing yourself to bloom where you are planted. Staying grows relationships to deeper levels. Staying forces you to face yourself and the effects you have on others. Staying opens new realms of creativity. When running away is an easy escape, staying is brave. Staying is an adventure within itself.
So don’t let the world tell you that where you are isn’t cool/hipster/trendy/
So maybe the adventure that is awaiting you this summer is within your own backyard. It’s in the semi-sketchy restaurant you’ve wanted to check out but have never gotten around to. It’s in that childhood neighbor BFF that you’ve lost touch with. It’s finding the new within the old. It’s in recreating and rediscovering. It’s in letting your wildflower heart grow a couple roots.
Just go? Ehhh I say… maybe this summer… just stay.
Xo ronnie