A conversation with a good friend this week, has me thinking about wanderlust. Or maybe a more fitting word is wonder-lust. As I turn the corner on my fortieth year around the sun, I reflect back on my life-by-interest.   

I do not, and never did, fit into the box: pick one thing (maybe two), study it, practice it, master it, and love it, until death do you part. This notion was actually soul crushing for me.

Not to condemn the box. In fact, I believe we need people who excel and are passionate about, their “lanes,” in order to have a world that works, frankly. But, we need both types of people, or rather, the full spectrum. There’s a creative magic that comes with those who “can’t sit still.” 

I’ll just say it, I’ve had more jobs than I am years old, from director to dog-walker and lots in between. I used to look at this, my truth, as downright shameful. Why can’t I find the one thing that lights me up? “But what are you passionate about, Leah? What do you love doing?” Good natured people would always ask me in an attempt to help. If I could just find my bliss, then I could follow it.  

But what if my bliss is actually in the multi-faceted explorations of stuff... people, places, stories, theories, activities, life? 

There is a freedom in the acceptance of my truth. Today, I am working on turning the acceptance into celebration. Why not? Having such a variety of hobbies, jobs, interests and ideas has enriched my life: It has shown me how to have a greater appreciation for the actual act of experiencing and has created a robustness that provides a way to be in joy with the daily.  

So, I say cheers to all those taste-testers out there who are abundant with interest and flavor!

Pictured: Lake Galena Hike and Lavendar Farm