My Travelling Star

They hunger for home, but they cannot stay.  They wait by the door, they stand and they stare. They're already out of there.  

Run before the wind, run before the rain, over yonder hill, just around the bend.  Never knowing why, never knowing when, every now and then, there you go again.  

I'm pretty much always questioning my desire to go.  I know there's nothing seriously wrong with me, but a few people have asked recently why and what it means to me and that makes me stop and wonder all the more.  I've never been able to put my finger on what causes it or even exactly what it is. Running from something?  Running to something?  Trying to escape boredom?  My ADHD? Some combination?  

But, a friend recently posted an article on my Facebook wall.  The subject matter was what the author called "Wanderlusters", a term I have heard, but never really defined.  A wanderluster is someone who can't sit still and has a constant desire to explore, to see and to experience as much of the world as possible.  According to this article, scientists have isolated a gene - the DRD4 gene.  Holders of this gene are predisposed to migrate and are typically novelty seeking, hyperactive risk takers.  The whole concept brought strange comfort to me.  They say that the drug companies like to come up with names for common medical conditions because people have a need to define what is wrong with them and of course, as a result the drug companies can then sell whatever snake oil they have to cure what ails them.  Seems I'm pretty typical then.  The fact that it brings me comfort to know that some scientist may have figured out what is wrong with me is hilarious really.  

Meanwhile, off I go again.  After returning from Macedonia and spending a couple of weeks in the Arizona desert at the Santa Cruz Flats Race, it was time to complete my circumnavigation of the continental US.  (Circumnavigation is a good word...makes me feel like I'm with Shackleton on the Endurance.)  With about 2500 miles to drive and the great state of Texas to cross, I thought I should find something worthwhile along the way, or the drive would make me looney.  

Favorite stop was Big Bend National Park.  Who knew there was something so cool in Texas!?!  It's lovely and remote and full of wildlife.  Went for a horseback ride in the desert, hiked the canyons and waded across the Rio Grande to Mexico.  Perfect.