Fernweh

Photo by Rohit Tandon on Unsplash

I have a painting on my wall. My son created it to accompany his Bob Ross costume last Halloween. And yes, it has happy trees. And mountains framing a waterfall.

When I look at it, there’s something I’ve heard described as homesickness for places one has never been. The German word for it is “fernweh.”

I’ve lived in three midwestern states. There’s always been woods to explore, but no mountains. Every time I’ve been on a trip through mountains, there’s a sense of wonder and mystery and curiosity. When I traveled to Colorado on a school trip, I climbed every rock I could. Every time I got to a peak, there was a higher peak to climb.

It should have been discouraging, to never reach the top. At the time, it was amazing. I thought I had seen the whole picture, but it was just the beginning, just a limited view of the larger landscape.

I used to think the goal was to “have it all together.” I believed once I had reached certain milestones, my life would be complete. Instead, each milestone brings a whole new landscape of possibilities. Sometimes it feels overwhelming. But maybe it’s about choosing my own adventure.