#drd47r

A Classic RiverCruiseKing.com Blog re-post from 2021

You know them when you meet them: those people who always keep their passport on hand, who can pack for an international trip in about twenty minutes flat, who’ve almost never met a travel idea they didn’t like, who would rather take three international trips a year than own a car. They never get tired of exploring.

Scientists might have discovered why some people tend towards wanderlust and others don’t.

One gene in particular, simply known as DRD4, is associated with dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is one of the brain’s natural “feel good” reward chemicals. For example, it’s released when we eat a delicious piece of chocolate cake or when we win at a race after training for months.

A derivative of DRD4, called DRD4-7R, is what’s come to be known as the “wanderlust gene.” In people who have it — only about 20 percent of the population — it shows up with an increased curiosity, restlessness, and desire to explore. And the one thing that almost all people who have DRD4-7R share in common? A history of traveling.

While nailing down the urge to explore and travel to only one piece of DNA might seem a bit simplistic, part of this unique gene mutation might be linked to the fact that the human brain and body are uniquely suited for exploration: unlike other primates, we have legs and hips that are designed to walk long distances; we have hands that can perform incredibly detailed tasks; and our brains are large and are naturally wired for creativity and change. Another source of the 7R gene might be those people groups in human history that experienced mass migration over long distances — they cultivated and passed on a relentless curiosity about new territory because that was what they were doing for generations.

Dr. Richard Paul Ebstein, Professor of Psychology at the National University of Singapore, explored the question of the “travel gene” more in depth in the recent article. Regardless of its origin, Ebstein notes that people who possess the 7R mutation are people who exhibit “novelty seeking or extraverted behavior.”

Sound like anyone you know?

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Wanderlust - That unshakable feeling that you’re born to travel

Is there a reason because you can’t stay still and you always meditate to leave and travel? Why the urge to discover? Why your hunger to explore simply cannot be quenched no matter how many trips you’ve done?

According to recent scientific claims (click here to read the article) the inherent urge to travel can be traced back to one gene, which is a genetic derivative of the gene DRD4, which is associated with the dopamine levels in the brain. The gene itself, which is identified as DRD4-7R, has been dubbed the “wanderlust gene,” because of its correlation with increased levels of curiosity and restlessness, for the most part.  In reality, however, those who carry this genetic information typically share one common theme, a history of traveling. The gene is only possessed by about 20 percent of the population. Having said that, there is a much higher prevalence of this gene in regions of the globe where travel has been encouraged in its past.

Why do Travelers have so much in common?: Wanderlust Gene

There’s something about traveling that brings you closer with strangers.

There’s something about knowing you’ll probably never see these people ever again that makes you want to share your story, your deepest darkest secrets with complete strangers.

Travelers and people I’ve met in hostels seem to have so much in common. We have similar core values and life goals, mostly to see a different part…