Labelless life

There is magic in travel. Not only are we transported to another place, mood and time, we are whisked away from self. When the minutia of our daily lives isn’t squawking in our ears, a more honest voice gets its turn in the spotlight. Perhaps we become better listeners when we step out of our natural habitat and into a place that calls for higher alertness. 

I started to notice the voice first in wardrobe. The clothes I chose, the way I did my hair and make-up while traveling, while still a reflection of my personal style, were more courageous. I realized that at home I was dressing for the eyes and judgements of the people around me. Take me away from that, and I dress for myself. 

I began to see other areas in my life where I allowed my fear of judgement to limit me. When I talk to strangers while traveling, it’s easier to be honest. I describe myself more confidently, laugh more easily and communicate with more sincerity. The impermanence of our interaction somehow gives me license to put it all on the table. What do I have to lose? I’ll never see them again. 

But what if I lived like that all of the time? 

The more I travel, the better I am aquatinted with that little honest voice and the more I grow to love her. Little by little, I’m collecting these souvenirs of self and stitching them into the fabric of everyday me. Maybe that’s why some of us are filled with wanderlust. We require scene, costume and character changes to experiment with self. Then, as Regina Spektor writes, “We take the things we like, and try to love the things we took.”