It’s human nature to categorize and judge every experience as “this is X,” and “this is Y.” “This is how you do that,” and “That is how you do this.” By categorizing things this way is how we can get through life easier, how you can drive a stick shift, without thinking every single time “push in clutch. Change gear. Ease off clutch. Press the accelerator.” This way of thinking works against you when you travel! Throw all of the this’s and that’s out of the window.

Look at it like this: Have you ever payed attention to the way a child reacts to the most mundane things?? The way a baby is intrigued by examining their own foot, or the way a toddler is fascinated by a balloon? Why… Because it’s new. Because it’s something they’ve never experienced or noticed before. My best piece of advice is to be like that! Treat every day, every experience, every person like it’s the first time you’ve experienced it. Because it IS! You’ve never been in an Italian train station. You’ve never driven on the left hand side of the road. You’ve never eaten a meat pie? Do you like meat?… Do you like pie?… Then who knows, you might like meat pie.. After all, what have you got to lose? Answer is: Nothing. Read the rest of this entry »