Realizing I’m in a place where I’m not tied to really anyone, anything, I booked a last minute solo trip to Paris and Barcelona. Taking time to be in an unknown place, get out of my day to day, and just do me, was probably one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a while. There is something so powerful in traveling solo. I love the feeling of wandering streets, connecting with strangers, having endless amounts of time to do whatever. It challenged me too, in the best of ways. I let go of expectations, sat with discomfort, and got lost a few times. However, through all the wrong turns, moments when my phone was about to die, and feeling like my feet were literally going to fall off from walking so much, I always found my way back. I think that was the greatest lesson I learned.
I found the following on a post card in a bookstore in Paris which sums it all up perfectly.
“I once saw A.T dedicate a copy of Bon Voyage for a friend. He wrote, I wish you a Bon Voyage, is there anything better that we could wish anyone?… Whether we are discovering the savage beauty of Crete, building a new life in Paris, experiencing the exhilarating chaos of New York City or languid afternoons in the relentless sun of Province, it’s about absorbing, digesting, and how all of these experiences change and expand our own lives, where ever we may live. Because isn’t this what life is about at its core? A fantastic journey… I too wish you all a Bon Voyage”