WANDERLUST
“A strong, innate desire to rove or travel about”
Dictionary.com.
How do you know if you have it? Is it something you learn or something to which you are genetically predisposed? These questions are still open for debate. But, If you get bored easily, become anxious with your daily routine and feel more content when you are out traveling experiencing new people and places, you probably have it.
HOW IS WANDERLUST ACQUIRED?
As I sat down to plan my next trip I began to think about why I get these urges for travel and adventure. Why do I feel compelled to see things I have not seen and go places I have never been?
A CASE FOR IMPRINTING
For as long as I can remember I have had the desire to see what is just over the hill.
As a kid, I used to get so excited the night before a family vacation that I could not sleep. That was especially true if we were going to Wyoming where my mother spent a good portion of her childhood. We would leave at four or five in morning for the three day journey. Our route carried us through tunnels in the mountains of West Virginia and by large cities like Chicago and St. Louis. We drove past miles and miles of cornfields in Iowa and into the wide open spaces of the West. Most of all, we met new and interesting people. They spoke with an unfamiliar twang and wore different clothes. Some donned Cowboy hats, boots, and large belt buckles. Real Indians were at the rodeos. It was the most exciting time!
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
(click on names for a sample)
In the 1950s television became common place and was the after dinner entertainment for most families. No longer did you have to travel to see new places. They were bought to you right in your living room. “Route 66” was a series about two guys who traveled on US Highway 66 from Chicago to California in a Corvette convertible. “Adventures in Paradise”, a series created by James A Michener, was the story of two guys who sailed the South Pacific on a schooner named Tiki looking for work and adventure. “Wagon Train” chronicled the lives of people on a wagon train traveling from Missouri to California in the late 1800s. Shows like these whet my appetite for travel and adventure. There were also movies.
My wanderlust was intensified further by full length feature films such as “The African Queen”, “South Pacific” and “Doctor Zhivago”. Was it vacations, TV shows and movies that honed my instincts to wander? Or, was there something else at play?
DRD4-7r (Wanderlust Gene)
Dan Scotti, Lifestyle Writer for Elite Dailey, in his article “The Wanderlust Gene: Why Some People are Born to Travel” says genes could play a part. He states that it has to do with the 7r derivative of the DRD4 gene. Dan gives considerable background on the correlation between the DRD4-7r gene and the heightened desire to explore.
This corresponds closely with the blog post “Is There really a ‘Wanderlust Gene’?” by Map Happy. Although there is doubt that any gene can directly affects someone’s behavior, both blogs site evidence that people with DRD4-7r tend to be bigger risk takers.
According to Map Happy, Robert Moyzis, a biochemistry professor at UC Irvine School of Medicine, says that people with DRD4 have “a ‘blunted’ version of the dopamine receptor”. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that gives us that feeling of well being. This means that these people require more dopamine than others to get that warm fuzzy feeling.
The theory is that people with the ‘blunted” dopamine receptors require more stimulation to get that “warm glow”. Consequently, they seek out new experiences to boost the level of dopamine in the brain and therefore, increase their sense of well being. That could be extrapolated into why some people have Wanderlust while others are content never to wander outside their own neighborhood.
Most everyone agrees that DRD4-7r is only one factor in the Wanderlust equation. There are other variables for sure. I do not know if I have this gene. But, I do know I have an unquenchable desire to travel, see new places and learn new things.
Some people may think of wanderlust as a burden. But, for me, it brings excitement to my life. I can not wait to take my next trip. Let the planning begin!