10 Beautiful Words That Describe Wanderlust Perfectly

So, recently I had this school assignment in which I had to choose a word/term that was related to something I loved and write a few lines (like a paragraph) on it. Naturally, I immediately thought of all the terms I knew related to travelling. All the words I thought of, though, didn’t seem to be interesting enough to write an entire paragraph on. This made me turn to my laptop and do a quick search for words that described travelling. As I went through the different sites, I found a perfect one. It had around 30 words with the proper origin date of, as well as a small note for each and every word. I couldn’t seem to get enough of those magical words, and found it impossible to pick only a single one among all those mesmerizing words!

Down below is a list of 10 words that captured my heart from the way they sounded and the way they seemed to roll off my tongue. I’m certain that many travel lovers will fall in love with these words as well. So…here you go!

15 WORDS THAT CAPTURED MY HEART :

1.   Solivagant (adj.)
      Origin: Latin
      Meaning: Wandering alone.

Not all those who wander are lost, but all those who wander alone are definitely solivagants. From the Latin word solivagus, meaning lonely or solitary, solivagant describes anyone who enjoys meandering around new countries, alone, in order to take it all in.

 

 

 

2.   Fernweh (n.)
      Origin: German
      Meaning: This German word, means an ache to get away and travel to a distant place, a feeling even stronger than wanderlust. 

Fernweh  is a German word that literally translates to “distance-sickness.”

While someone with wanderlust might sit at home and happily fantasise about all the places they might visit, someone with fernweh would feel a deeper sense of longing, a sort of homesickness but for foreign lands.

 

3.    Resfeber  (n.)
       Origin: Swedish
Meaning: This travel word refers to the restless race of the traveler’s heart before the journey begins, when anxiety and anticipation are tangled together.

We’ve all felt this, that jump in your heart the moment you officially purchase your plane tickets. When the excitement and fear floods to your mind all at once, creating an overwhelming mixture of emotions that can leave you feeling anxious or physically ill.

 

 

 

 

4.    Dérive (n)
       Origin: French
Meaning: A spontaneous and unplanned journey where the traveller leaves their life behind allows themselves to be guided by the landscape and architecture.

Literally translated as “drift”, dérive is the idea that even if you drift you will end up on the right path. This could describe life in general, but it also describes small journeys. When you’re wandering through a new city and you just happen to wander on a path that takes you to great discoveries.

 

5.     Eleutheromania (n.)
        Origin: Greek
Meaning: The intense desire for freedom.

People may say that travelling makes them feel free; eleutheromania is the desire for this feeling. We seem to find freedom in other cultures, or just in being outside the norm, and when you stop travelling, you crave it again.

 

 

 

6.    Trouvaille (n.)
       Origin: French
Meaning: A chance encounter with something  wonderful.

Whether it’s stumbling across a hidden back street, a quaint cafe, or connecting with a local, trouvaille describes those magical moments we experience in our journeys.

 

 

 

 

7.    Onism (n.)
       Origin: Danish
Meaning: Awareness of how little of the world you’ll   experience. The frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time. 

Similar to the Swedish word ‘resfeber’, onism describes the feeling of knowing that you’ll never be able to see it all. They say that the more you travel, the harder it gets to stay in one place.

 

 

 

8.    Eudaimonia (n.)
       Origin: Greek
Meaning: A contented happy state.

That bursting feeling in your chest when you travel. When everything feels great.

 

 

 

 

 

9.   Hygge (n.)
      Origin: Danish
Meaning: The warm feeling you get while enjoying the company of great friends and all life has to offer.

When you’re out for a meal with people you met during your travels, and you feel happy, content, and even lucky that you’re right where you’re meant to be.

 

 

 

 

10.   Coddiwomple (v.)
        Origin: English slang
Meaning: To travel purposefully towards a vague  destination.

When you have an idea of where you’re going, but it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there. The road doesn’t have to be a straight one. In fact, sometimes it’s better when it’s not, like when you go hiking.

 

 

 

These are just a few of the mind-blowing words I came across. If you’ve got any more, leave them down below in the comment section!

– Just Another Magical Soul