HI. We just took our first international trip since covid began. In full transparency, I’m still processing it all as I’m still on the road juggling a lot of things—but this snapshot of where I’m at will do, for now… (cont’d below)

On the way to Europe, I was overcome by a lot of emotions –excitement, nervousness, sadness, fear, and optimism—how can I hold so many emotions at once? No clue, but I feel like I’m really good at it. I kept listening to “Underneath the Lovely London Sky” from the movie Mary Poppins Returns. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s voice in the song brought some comfort as I stepped out of my travel-comfort-zone for the first time since the world changed forever. I kept imagining the wonder I was to encounter when I’d see new sights, new fashion, new street art, new ways of expression, and smell new scents after so long—and that helped with my flight anxiety while flying over the Atlantic :)

Landing at Heathrow International Airport, I was met with an hour-long line for immigration, but most importantly, a sense of joy I haven’t really felt since March of 2020. And wonder was exactly what I experienced during our trip through London, Edinburgh, and Barcelona. My senses were overwhelmed in the best way. The days were full and the internal conversations were expansive, hard, and healing. I noticed how I viewed the world, and myself, differently than the last time I was in Europe back in 2019—not in a bad way, but in a way that was surprising. I found different things interesting that I hadn’t before—I noticed more patterns in how things were run, and was hyper-aware of everyone’s style, finding inspiration in ways I haven’t been able to in a long time.

I saw things differently because I have changed since the last time I traveled abroad. I’ve grown up a bit more. I use “grown up” lightly here, as the phrase is often coupled with losing a sense of wonder and becoming jaded— succumbing to the belief that life is and should be hard, and we just need to deal with it. I’ve seen it have the tendency to strip away the deeply powerful agency we all have as humans. I’m different now, more grown up, and more wildly focused on optimism, health, and protection of the spirit that makes me me. So I was experiencing all of the adventures, sights, smells, and tastes through that lens, which is new for me, and it was wonderful (full-of-wonder).

Big Ben, La Sagrada Familia, tapas, train rides through the English countryside, time spent with best friends and family, designer shopping experiences, penthouse upgrades, walking through the oldest part of Edinburgh at midnight with the moon lighting our path, gelato three nights in a row from an Italian gelato maker who works seven days a week since he opened eight months ago to ensure he achieves his dreams, 15k+ steps walked a day— I’m just scratching the surface. It’s all wonderful.

A lot can happen in two weeks out of your routine. The Abe who is writing this piece is different than the Abe who flew to Europe two and a half weeks ago. And that’s why I love traveling.

Two Weeks With New Eyes: Snapshots From Europe