If you look up Wanderlust in the dictionary, it is defined as: “a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.”
Our First Taste of Wanderlust
It was 26 years ago in 1989 and I was working as a software engineer at Perot Systems (now Dell). My wife, Lynn, had an incredible job at ABC News, working as a financial analyst for their news division.
This was before Ross Perot ran for president, he was building his next computer company after selling EDS for $2.5 billion and I was working on his first major account. We worked like crazy, normally 16 to 18 hours a day trying to ensure Ross’s first account was successful.
It was almost Christmas and Lynn and I were burned out. We decided to book our first trip out of the country, to Jamaica. We chose Sandals in Ocho Rios because it was relatively inexpensive and an all-inclusive resort.
This was our first taste of the tropics. I grew up on a farm in Georgia and Lynn in Detroit. Both of us were from hard working middle class families, so we never experienced international travel as kids. We were in our late 20’s and this trip planted the seeds for of our love of travel.
Neither of us had ever sailed before either. We booked an excursion for an evening sail with rum punch flowing and reggae blaring.
During the day, we would hang out at the pool, play volleyball, enjoy water sports and take advantage of unlimited cocktails.
We would also take excursions (like our trip to Dunn’s River Falls). Check out the huge video camera the guy was holding. Hey, it was still the 80’s!
At night, we would watch the locals put on a show.
Although we didn’t know it then, this was the beginning of our wanderlust. Since then, we have traveled to 22 countries and that number grows each year. We love learning about different cultures, seeing new things, and embracing new experiences.
That’s what lifestyle freedom is all about.
Have you ever experienced wanderlust? Leave a comment to let me know!
About this Blog
Steve and his wife built a software company, sold it and retired early. Steve enjoys blogging about lifestyle freedom, financial independence and technology. If you like this blog, subscribe here to get an email each time he posts.
If you like this post, you might also like these prior posts:
- Steve and Lynn’s travels
- 5 Budgeting Tips
- How to Build a Product Website
- Market Correction: Don’t Freak Out!
- An Entrepreneurial Strategy for Selling a Company
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Nice Stache.
Love the post and the photos taking us back in time with you to your international destination number one. I have yet to experience international travel. My wife has spent a month in Europe right after graduating from High School but that was a long time ago. We do plan a European trip in the next couple of years. My wanderlust has been very active from a young age but I love taking to the road. The great thing about living in the USA is it’s big and diverse of topology and climates. The awesome thing about reaching FI and retiring early is we get to create our own lifestyle freedom. That’s what it’s all about and worth everything it takes to get there.
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You are right, the USA has great destinations with lots of variety. But international travel gives you a glimpse into different cultures which is cool in itself.
That’s awesome Steve. On our first trip to Vegas last year, I put on my sunglasses and cried all the way from Lexington to Louisville, KY…because I never thought that I would be getting on a plane. Traveling of any sort never seemed in my cards. We followed up with Cancun, New Orleans (during Mardi Gras), and Nashville (not so far away.)
It looks like you guys have had a blast!Â
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We love Cancun and New Orleans. I hope there are lots more travel in your future!
You’re bringing back great memories of Jamaica for me! We stayed at the Grand Palladium a few years back and it was amazing! Exotic trips like this have really inspired my family and I to get more adventurous about our vacations and even my business trips. Once getting a taste, it was definitely hard not to want to see the rest of the world!
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Hey! Absolutely loved reading this and it makes my wanderlust even worse (I’ve never thought about visiting Jamaica and now its on my list…so thanks!) If you guys like traveling you should pop over to Australia and check out some of our amazing nature and buzzing cities (promise there aren’t many sharks)..or maybe there are…just be careful. Check out my blog for some inspiration 🙂
https://4loveofhiking.wordpress.com/
Thanks for stopping by! We have a friend from Brisbane Australia and would love to go visit her some time. You have a beautiful website for hiking, I am going to check it out more. All the best.
Your blog is awesome, I just started following it. Beautiful pics of Australia.
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