ABOUT ME
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
- African Proverb
Hey there!! Welcome to my blog!
I'm Allison! I am a Masters of Government candidate at Reichman University in Herzliya, Israel! I received my BA in Politics and International Affairs with minors in Middle East Islamic Studies and Latin American Studies from Furman University in South Carolina. I am originally from New Jersey, USA, and in Spring 2019, I traveled around the world on a study abroad program called Semester at Sea (SAS)!
When I'm not traveling, you can find me holed up nose deep in a book, watching the news, or sipping tea at a coffee shop with friends. If not, I'm probably in need of a little motivation, and you can find me scrolling through inspirational quotes (which you'll find scattered throughout this site).
I started this blog because I thought this would be a great place to share my stories and the stories of the amazing people I met on my adventures with SAS. Before I embarked on this journey, I had multiple opportunities to explore the world, which instilled in me what some call "the travel bug." This blog seeks to discover what comes after one discovers their wanderlust. If I have learned anything, it is that there is always more to see and learn. I hope you like it and discover something new!
If you need any more information or want to chat, you can contact me here. Happy exploring!!
"When traveling overseas you learn more about your own country than the country you are visiting."
- Clint Borgen
The Origin of Wanderlust by Luing:
Traveling by boat has always been my favorite way to travel. For as long as I can remember, the ocean has been my happy place, that tranquil comfortable feeling that overtake you and somehow always manages to make you smile. I love how the ocean can be blue or green or turquise. I love that it wraps me up in a hug and heals me both physically and mentally every time jump in. From Thanksgiving trips at the Jersey Shore to New Years Eve in the Caribbean, and eventually a semester abroad at sea, I seem to constantly find myself drifting towards the ocean and jumping at the chance to spend even a few minutes on a boat.
In high school I received an assignment that involve researching my name and my origin. I had to research where I came from and find out how I got my name. I had always known I was Scottish. In fact, on my first trip outside the United States my family brought me to Scotland at the ripe age of 18 months. While I don't remember the trip, there are dozens of family photos documenting my parents and I, and my whole extended family on the rocky shore of Luing Island, Scotland. As I researched my Scottish lineage and the history of my last name, I learned that Luing (either Long or Luinn) means ship or waterfall depending who translates it. And I thought to myself - How fitting is that?
When I first began this blog, I named it 52 and Counting. I planned to focus on what came after visiting more than 50 countries and how travel differed once you've had the opportunity to become somewhat of an "expert." I quickly realized there is no such this as an expert traveller because every country, every city, and every town is different. As a globe we are constantly changing and evolving and as such, I came to the conclusion that I cannot possibly be an expert when my whole reason for traveling is to continue to learn and grow just as the industry and the world itself does. Once I realized this, I needed a new name. I turned, like I typically do, to inspirational quotes with the hope that one might spark an idea. Eventually, I decided to just go stare at the ocean - my happy place - after all it is the one thing connecting people everywhere.
And thats when it hit me. Wanderlust by Luing. The desire to travel by ship or by water. It is the mix of my innate wanderlust and connection to water and sailing that drives, at least in part, my life and more specifically this blog.