“We travel to seek other states, other lives, other souls.”
- Anais Nin
Is there a place that calls to you?
A place that both restores your soul and makes you feel at home.
Make a list of those places.
Write down the words of how they make you feel.
What is the through-line thread or pattern that you can see?
It may be as remote as the desert, where silence feels close to the earth.
Or a small hill town in Italy, where the culture and conversation feels generous, where beauty is a part of everyday life.
The place for you may be a bustling city like New York, vibrating with energy and opportunity to experience just about anything, any time of day or night. It could be as close as an hour's drive away- a stretch of road, a forest walk, a mountain hike.
When you can't pick up and move, or change the trajectory of your life, travel is the great gift.
For me, travel is not just going to a new or familiar place. It's stepping through a portal of discovery. It gives me permission to step out of the role and the responsibilities I carry so faithfully at home. It's a catalyst for inspiration. Even when my energy feels depleted, travel feels restorative. My perspective shifts. My body softens. My soul recalibrates. No matter where I go, I am always in some way changed.
And sometimes, travel is just a mindset- looking at the familiar landscape of our lives anew. Taking a moment to see the beauty of what already surrounds us. To sit in stillness with nothing to do, nowhere to be. To read a book by the fire. To prepare a meal and eat by candle light. To rearrange a room, or tidy up a forgotten corner. To fall in love with what''s already in front of us. To remind ourselves that our lives are beautiful just as they are when we remember the rituals that make us feel truly at home.
X Alisa