I’m not sure when this word became so important to me, but the earliest I can remember is 2017. I was talking to my best friend and sent her this word and the meaning behind it. Since then, I’ve used it every time I’ve wanted to go somewhere and honestly, the urge to see the world gets stronger every time I think about it.
As a native New Yorker, upstate, not the city, I have always wanted out. So much so that I’ve packed up my belongings and moved out of my home state twice. The first time was to Texas at 20 years old. It was the most unplanned move I’d made at that point. My older brother moved there in 2009, about 5 years before I would make the move myself. He said he wanted to help and I felt like I was stuck and unhappy with my life then, so I took him up on his offer and boy was that a mess. I am grateful for the time I had there but I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I would never live with him again.
The second time I left New York was to move to Mississippi, I was 25 and I had planned more this time. I saved money, packed up and moved down there with my best friend, and it was the best decision I made. Though I came back to New York two years later, I don’t regret moving down there at all. However, there are things I could have done differently, with both moves out of New York and my move back home. Live and learn, right?
Anyway, I’m writing this post to say that fernweh still means a lot to me, and instead of moving out of New York again, with out a set plan and more money saved up, I’m thinking of taking a trip across America and I need all the tips and sights to see. I’m hoping to set off on this journey next summer, at this point I’ll be 30 and I couldn’t think of any other way to spend the first year of my thirties.
I would love it if you would share this post with your friends, comment on it with where you think I should go and the best tips for travelling. It’s not a concrete idea yet but I’m hoping by posting this that I can make it one. My hopes are to share this journey with all of you, with pictures of my travels and maybe help someone else accomplish this dream of theirs.
Scripted Words 