Discovering beauty in the everyday.
When travelling people expect utopia. There isn’t the logical tolerance for reality. People live here. People are living regular lives. It is precisely because of those lives which makes discovering new places so wonderful. That hits me as I sit here in the Atrium waiting for Stas to find a neck brace, you know, that fat foamy support tool that makes two day bus rides or 12 hour plane trips not so unbearable. I’ve been here so many times that its beauty has become invisible. However today is different, today we are officially leaving Toronto and starting our journey. It is precisely because of that the people sitting around me now seem so wonderful.
As a species we have to go to Europe to find beauty in the everyday. We journey the four corners of the planet to people watch and only then do we find beauty in struggles of everyday life. The fear of ‘The Other’ is so prevalent in our everyday life that we overlook how wonderful it all is.
Today I find myself feeling in awe over the group of friends eating noodles from a styrofoam plate. I gaze at the scene taking in every smile, their laughs, the plastic laminate tables and typical cafeteria lighting. Around them the ever to familiar mall begs my attention – I allow my mind to wonder through the room taking it all in
Not having distractions like work or demanding schedule has given me permission to look around and take more in. Beauty is spotted everywhere that way. That’s travelling, that’s what we save up for and buy. Not beaches, not all you can consume packages but the ability to find the everyday interesting.
Not having a destination forces you to look around and take more in. Beauty is spotted everywhere that way.
When travelling people try to fill their schedules with everything that is interesting. They don’t want to or can’t find interesting things just by wandering. They want to make sure they see everything that was supposed to be seen. It reminds me of a quote that I think of often. There are two ways to become full. The first is to consume more and more until you’re fed up. The other, is to desire less.
Go out with no expectations and everything will be surprising.
NOMAD SKETCHBOOK 