So today I am going to be talking all about Fernweh. Yes that is spelled right; fernweh. Fernweh is defined as, "A crave for travel; being homesick for a place you've never been." I have fernweh all the time and it is getting more and more relentless. So you may ask yourself where do I crave to go? Where is it that I feel homesick for even though I have never stepped foot there? Well the answer is Japan.
I love japanese culture and always have ever since my parents got me the movie spirited away back in 2001. Here was 11 year old me being transported into a world of pure imagination all surrounded by a culture that I had never known or seen before. The beautiful characters, the amazing food, the unique clothing, the rich history. I loved it all and yep, still do.It is something that I literally day dream about all the time and it drives me up the wall. I want to go and see the incredible sights, explore the nightlife and immerse myself in the language and people. As Belle said so eloquently in Beauty and the Beast, "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more than I can tell, and for once it might be grand to have someone understand..."
Does anyone out there understand? Are you so drawn to a culture that you think about it relentlessly? I need to travel. I need to feel lost and out of place but enjoy the idea of being surrounded by something entirely new and magnificent.
I am of course a major disney fan and Disneyland is one of the best places on the planet. It should come as no surprise than that with my love of cultures and the foreign, that one of my all time favorite rides is It's a Small World. I love the colors the music the culture even though they might be a simplified and stylized version of what is real; it still captivates me.
I am of course a major disney fan and Disneyland is one of the best places on the planet. It should come as no surprise than that with my love of cultures and the foreign, that one of my all time favorite rides is It's a Small World. I love the colors the music the culture even though they might be a simplified and stylized version of what is real; it still captivates me.Last summer I got to visit little tokyo in LA for the first time and I was lost in bliss. The smells, tastes, and things there were just a fraction of what could be one day... I long for that day.
I have taken Japanese classes and am currently in a japanese calligraphy class but alas it is never enough. I need to go. I need to travel. I even eat my cereal with chopsticks people.
Surprisingly enough though, while I crave and love Japan, I have a love for most orient cultures and greatly desire to also see Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Who knows if it will happen but it is certainly a major goal of mine. I have fernweh. The longing, crave for travel; being homesick for a place you've never been. Fernweh
I have what was termed as wander lust. I don't want to go any particular place, I just want to wander, to get lost, to discover. So I totally get what you are saying. But maybe not so much Japan. I've always been a France or Italy type of gal. But best of luck to you getting there :)
ReplyDeleteso this is sort of rando-face, but do you still do ballroom?
DeleteNo... I mean I would love to but it didn't fit in my schedule this semester. I am going to the ballroom in concert show though. Why?
DeleteThis is a great post. I've felt that way for most of my life. I used to consider myself restless, but now I think it's just a need I have to always wanting to move, to wander, but to nowhere specific, like Dupree was saying.
ReplyDelete