Have you ever daydreamed about running away? Have you ever actually followed through?  I wrote about my latest running away fantasy over at Oh Get A Grip! this week:

The text message made my heart race. No, not in that way. In a different way-- a way that stirred the wanderlust in me.

“There is a two year tour to London that starts in February 2013...”

Oh!

The text was from my husband, a naval officer. The tour would have us packing up and moving to London for two years. The logistics are a bit mind boggling at the moment, but the opportunity to live in London for two years seems worth it. Almost?

I have have had a love affair with London since 2003, but I’ve been in love with England since I was a little girl. The monarchy, the pageantry, the history… England was where a woman could be a powerful leader-- and a princess in a castle. At least, that’s the way my young imagination interpreted it.

I read about Henry VIII and his wives-- I memorized their names and their stories. I got up early to watch Princess Diana get married and I watched her funeral with tears in my eyes. I didn’t get up early to watch Prince William’s nuptials, but I recorded it. When I was a teenager, a British accent would make me swoon. Not much has changed.

I’m not good at running away-- not in any real sense. I may have fantasized about running away when I was a kid, but I never attempted it. The price to be paid when I was dragged home was simply not worth the risk. I dreamed of running away to Europe, to travel the world, to study abroad, to be a photo journalist… but as deep as the wanderlust runs, there is also a need for comfort and consistency and a sense of place and identity.

Read the rest of the story and tell me about your experience with running away. And check in at the Grip tomorrow when the brilliant and beautiful Alana Noël Voth will be guest blogging.

Posted by Kristina in Writing at 12:01 AM Permalink