As I sit in a pret-a-manger sipping on a frothy cup of "golden turmeric" watching the rain fleck down on unsuspecting tourists (and Brits who barely notice), I am reminded why I travel.
There are many reasons why humans travel: status, experience, bucket-lists, searching for themselves, running away from themselves...the list goes on.
For me, travel (whether near or far) is a way of taking myself out of the familiar and into the stimulating zone of "difference". And when I am surrounded by the different, my brain starts to process information differently.
Walking to the Gloucester Road tube station today I was struck with an entirely new component to incorporate into my personal spiritual philosophy. It felt like a key had dropped down and unlocked a new level in my brain. I never really got into video games, and perhaps its because of the feeling I can attain in life by going to new (or different) places and "leveling up".
I've been to London many times before: as a matter of fact I grew up here, despite calling the US my home for over a decade. But it's been many years since I "lived" here, and just coming back and interacting with the space in a new way (it's different: I'm different) has got me thinking and feeling new things.
There's a flip side to the story though: I have to leave tomorrow to Paris. The newness wore off in the first few days and in order for some serious soul work to take place I need to be in another place that is equally different and stimulating.
I will miss the familiar comforts: english sweets, bread with everything, always a pub with beer as the obvious choice. It's also really nice to catch up with friends who've known me since I was a very wild little child with a ton of hair and a cockney accent (yes I did). But right now I'm sensing I need some serious alone time. Time where I put my headphones in and melt into a city where no one knows me and everything is really foreign. I want to get lost again, and feel feelings I haven't felt in years, or perhaps ever.
I want to unlock more levels.
Congratulations @gowest.alexandra! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCongratulations @gowest.alexandra! You received a personal award!
You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
Vote for @Steemitboard as a witness to get one more award and increased upvotes!