New Place

Breathing in. There is something special about the smell of a new city. Something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Close your eyes. Resign for a bit. Lower your armor. Take it in, taste it. This is the feeling I want to reach for when I’m traveling. Not the attractions, the sightseeing, or the food. Only the experience of finding myself in a new setting. It’s wonderful.

I place my feet on a new street and I feel so alive when I start exploring around the neighborhood. ‘Alive’ is such a cheesy word, I know, but it’s the best explanation for what I feel in this moment. Just soaking the newness all in. It doesn’t matter what happens because this experience is mine, and mine only. That understanding is enough, not to just keep me satisfied, but to bubble with excitement.

I met once again with this wonderful feeling last week as I traveled to Rome and walked its ancient streets. It was great fuel.