Is the Wanderlust Gene Real? I Took the DNA Test to Find Out

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I don’t just enjoy traveling. I live for it. Every single day, I think about where I’ve been and where I still want to go. I scroll flight deals when I’m not even planning a trip. I dream of swapping the Midwest for someplace warmer, livelier, or just different. So when I learned about the so-called wanderlust gene—a bit of DNA that might explain this constant urge to go—I needed to know more. Could wanderlust really be written into my DNA?

Table of Contents

• What Is the Wanderlust Gene?
• Why I Chose Dynamic DNA Labs
• My Ancestry DNA Test
• Waiting for the Test Kit
• Sending in my Sample
• So, Do I Have the Wanderlust Gene?
• The Science Behind the Wanderlust Gene
• Like it. Pin it.

What Is the Wanderlust Gene?

The wanderlust gene is a nickname for DRD4-7R, a variant of the dopamine receptor gene. People with this gene are said to need more stimulation to feel the same level of excitement or reward. That might look like taking risks, changing routines, or seeking out new places. Some researchers believe it explains why certain people crave movement and discovery, while others are happy staying close to home.

It’s not science fiction. It’s biology. But it’s not absolute either. Having the gene doesn’t guarantee a love of travel. And not having it doesn’t mean you’re stuck in place. But it can help explain why some of us feel so drawn to the unknown.

Why I Chose Dynamic DNA Labs

I ordered the Wanderlust DNA Test from Dynamic DNA Labs. It cost $79 and ships straight to your door. The lab is CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited, so the science behind it meets high standards for testing and privacy.

I chose this test because it’s the same one Brian Kelly ordered in his book How to Win at Travel, which I’m reading now. His discovery that he didn’t have the gene made me even more curious. I wanted to know if my restless spirit might actually come from something more profound. The test looks for the DRD4-7R gene variant. You swab your cheek, send it in, and wait for the results.

The wanderlust test might be the first, but it won’t be the last. I’m also curious about their nutrition, fitness, and personality DNA tests.

My Ancestry DNA Test

I took a DNA test through AncestryDNA a few years ago. I was curious about where I came from—beyond what I could trace in family stories. According to the results, my roots stretch across several regions on the African continent: Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, and the Congo. I also discovered ancestry from Wales, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Northwestern Europe, and England—the only place on my DNA map I’ve visited so far.

That result caught me off guard, but it also sparked a new curiosity. I’ve started looking at travel through the lens of that report. It’s more than a destination now. It’s a return. A connection to people I’ve never met but carry with me. These results didn’t just tell me where I’m from. They gave me a reason to go. And now I want to know if that urge to go is built into my DNA.

Waiting for the Test Kit

I’ve placed the order and the kit should arrive in 3 to 5 days. Once it gets here, I’ll swab my cheek and send it back using the prepaid envelope. The lab says results will be available in about three weeks. I’ll update this section with how the process went and what I thought about it.

Sending in my Sample

I received the test kit on Saturday, so I waited and completed the sample on Monday. The instructions were simple. I filled out a card that I enclosed in the envelope along with a double cheek swab. They did not include a vial, so the test will be performed on dry swabs.

So, Do I Have the Wanderlust Gene?

According to Dynamic DNA Labs, yes—I do. My results came back as 4R/7R, which means I inherited two different versions of the DRD4 gene. One has four repeats (the most common), and the other has seven repeats—the version linked to higher novelty-seeking behavior.

The 7R variant occurs in less than 20% of the population. It officially confirms my positive test for the wanderlust gene. But it also explains why I get bored easily, my insatiable curiosity, and my constant need for movement—new places, new people, new ideas. Stillness doesn’t soothe me. Change does.

The Science Behind the Wanderlust Gene

The science behind it is pretty interesting. This gene affects how our brains respond to dopamine—the chemical that makes us feel good. People with the 7R variant don’t bind dopamine as efficiently. In plain English? We need more stimulation to feel the same pleasure as someone with a “normal” gene. So we seek it out. Through movement, through exploration, through change. Through travel.

Some people chase adventure because it’s fun. For me, it might actually be biological.

This doesn’t mean I have to travel, but it does offer an explanation for why staying still for too long makes me antsy. It helps explains why I took to this military lifestyle so easily. Why I daydream about train rides through Italy or beach walks in Southeast Asia when the Midwest sky turns gray and ugly. Why planning my next trip often feels like a need, not a want.

So, yes—my results (and my passports) confirm it. The urge to go, to see, to keep moving? It might really be written in my DNA.

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_{This post, Is the Wanderlust Gene Real? I Took the DNA Test to Find Out, is sponsored, and the 3rd in a 5-part blog series about leaving America. If you have questions or want to share your thoughts or experiences about leaving America, please add them in the comments below.}

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