The Magic of Knowing Your Great Wanderlust

Mar 15

The Great Wanderlust is all about women stepping outside of the box and diving deeper in both travel and in life! The mission is to inspire moms and families to feel fully alive through adventure and exploration. So, what is your Great Wanderlust? What makes you feel most alive?

This is one of the burning questions I’ve asked every single person who’s been interviewed for the She, Who Wanders series. As women, we sometimes go through life just trying to get through the day. And sometimes that’s truly all we can do. When we had our second set of twins, we went into survival mode, and there was a season where I felt like all I could do was keep everybody (including myself) fed + alive. It’s definitely a privilege (in more ways than one) to be able to ask and answer the question - what makes you feel fully alive?

(read what more than 20 women shared here!)

It’s such an important question because it’s when we feel fully alive that we make our biggest mark on the world. As moms, if we don’t feel fully alive, how can we show our kids what it looks like to be an adult who cares about herself and seeks out joy + vibrance? As women, how can we lead well in our families and in the world if we feel run into the ground and have lost our spark? It’s not selfish to do more of what makes us happy and connected with our highest self - it’s actually our responsibility as women of influence to those around us.

It is possible to feel alive, vibrant and connected…to be living everyday as the highest version of ourselves. But it takes intention. And it takes asking ourselves new and different questions that can help us find out what makes us feel fully alive and connected. And then getting out there and doing more of that.

Imagine coming to the end of life and realizing much of it was spent going through the motions and not really living with a capital L. Take a minute to think about how that will feel. I make myself think about this daily. Start asking the questions now - taking risks and getting out of your comfort zone now - rather than feeling regretful at the end of this one beautiful life.

Over the last 5 months, I’ve loved getting to hear from so many adventurous women on this topic. Seeing others live vibrantly connected lives shows us all what’s possible! We’re all unique, but at the end of the day we are the same at our core. We all want to live deeply and meaningfully, love well and know that we mattered and left a mark on the world.

Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” It’s one of my favorite quotes of all time and is a great reminder when I feel that guilt sneak up or when my inner critic tries to tell me that I shouldn’t be taking time to focus on myself or my own happiness. We all feel that doubt sometimes - or a lot of the time! Our inner critic voice is fierce…but with the right tools and feeding our minds and souls with truth, we are fiercer.

I hope you’re as inspired as I am by a few of the things that make some of the most adventurous women I’ve met through the She, Who Wanders movement feel fully alive…and go scope out the Wander Wall to find even more inspiration!

“What truly makes me feel alive is working with my hands - from motherhood to the garden. I don’t lose myself in nature…it’s where I find myself.” — Joey @destinationmommy

“I feel alive being active in nature. I love to move + go, staying strong and healthy. Combining that with new experiences really makes me feel alive.” — Anna @therobertswerehere

“Traveling and being in nature is what makes me feel most alive. Putting in the effort to get to a beautiful destination I’ve never seen before is when my soul feels happiest. Pairing that with having my children alongside me intensifies it the most.” — Rachel @beboldlittleones

“I feel most alive when I’ve immersed myself deep in nature. Going on hikes, sitting by a creek or waterfall, and taking road trips to explore places in the great outdoors that aren’t my home…nature is my therapy.” — India @ourwanderlust_life

“My great wanderlust is to live like locals all over the world! I love learning about different ways people live.” — Courtney @simple.adventurous.life

Check out all the responses from our community!