bringing home the feeling of travel
process journal
this week I just returned home from two weeks of traveling — a roadtrip through the south of Turkey with my partner and Luna, in which I swam everyday in different bays and beaches, and ate so much village food I feel like I never need to eat again.
returning home, I’m noticing how my body feels newly unaccustomed to sitting for so long at a desk, or staying in a single place all day. the labyrinths of my mind, and the clockwork of my creative and business practices feel dusty from weeks of not being used.
when I’m at home, I live my most Scorpio hermit life, but when I travel, I live out the desires of my Aries moon-child.
at home, I’m so in my head that I forget that the web of life also contains physical things, people, and places. but when I travel, sometimes I swing to the opposite extreme. during this road trip, I wanted to see ten thousand things a day. to constantly live on the edge of discovery, to chase ancient ruins, and drive up and down mountains, and swim in every glittering turquoise place.
I woke up everyday, and instead of thinking about my cyclical creative tasks, I asked myself very simple guiding questions:
where do I feel like exploring today?
where (and what) do I want to eat or drink today?
how can I savor this moment more?
I realized that rather than centering the processes and practices of my work, I centered discovery, nourishment, and presence.
discovery — like pulling the thread of small curiosities
nourishment — by prioritizing what would feel indulgent and pleasurable
presence — living in vibrant, sensorial technicolor, knowing that this time will end.
I’ve returned to Istanbul craving less screen time, more embodied time. less repetitive wandering in my head, more making things in the kitchen, or going to new places in the city. I’ve always wanted to live more fully on the non-duality spectrum of home and travel — to make travel feel more like home, and home more like travel.
I think this practice begins with centering a nourishing life, rather than only centering work (as much as I love my work). then, to create space for small rituals of discovery and adventure, inside the spaces of an ordinary day. the practice of presence always seems to be the master key for this. so, for now, I’ll start there.