Wanderlust, finally

            For the first time in my life I have experienced Wanderlust. This, you must understand, is an incredible triumph for me. In the first, and past, two years of marriage, Jenna and I have been at (loving and respectful) odds with each other over the different opinions we share in how to spend our next few childless years as a couple. She, in world travel and making memories; myself, in our nice quiet home…making a child. At times these conversations were rough and at other times they were therapeutic and connection-building. But through many many silent conversations with the Lord, reading novels where the good guy either is or becomes adventurous, and long talks with faith-filled, vagabond friends like Jon and Linda, I’ve come to a place where I can say to Jenna with sincere enthusiasm, “Let’s go somewhere!” Now to balance this out, I must add that Jenna also recently said to me, “Maybe—keyword maybe—we can start trying for a baby next year.” I nodded in understanding, trying to appear nonchalant, while thinking, "One point, Team Aaron!" But I digress.

            It first happened a week after we got back from visiting Jenna's parents in North Carolina. I was going about my day, doing whatever I do when I’m going about something, and I suddenly thought, “I wish I was at an airport right now.” Now to most people, that thought is closer to lunacy than victory. But to me it was all that and a revelation: I really enjoy traveling. I’m not sure where all of my anxiety used to stem from concerning travel but I simply wasn’t connecting with it anymore.

            The next time it happened I was driving down the I-5 on my way to work when I had the sudden urge to keep driving past my exit. I felt that there were places this road could take me that I've never been before; and it got me excited. Ryan Sprenger once prophetically told me over a beer that he could see me raising Jenna’s anxiety one day with all the risk-taking, adventurous ideas I'd be coming up with. I was skeptical at first because it’s normally the other way around, but now I can see it. And even if I’m not necessarily scaring her with wild initiatives, I can at least make her say, “I never thought I’d hear you say that. Thank you, Jesus! Let’s do it!”

            So in lieu of all that, my next step is to buy a giant map and start going on adventures so grand and full of life-giving memories, Jenna will throw up her hands and say, “That’s it! We’re making some babies,” just to settle me down.