My addiction to travel can be traced back to the year I lived abroad during college, studying architecture in Florence, Italy. It was neither a planned experience nor part of an elaborate master plan. It was more about a friend encouraging me to join him on what turned out to be a wild adventure, and arguably one of the best years of my life. The year before, I was studying the relevance of these historic buildings in my architectural history courses, and here I was now inside them, breathing the same air as their creators.
My new apartment was a relic overlooking the cathedral of Florence where centuries before, Brunaleschi had created the use of perspective in drawings while designing its breath taking dome. Two buildings down was the house where Machiavelli wrote The Prince. Every day, I felt like I was living in a dream, as I wondered around the streets trying to take everything in, making the everyday tourists look like native Florentines. I spent that year not only exploring Florence but pretty much all of Europe. This experience opened my eyes to the world forever.
As I sit down to design a new piece, I tap into these neural pathways that were created during my overwhelming exposure to arts and culture while abroad. Even though I did not feel anything mentally happening at the time, the residue of the experience has carried with me until today. However, physically transporting yourself from one location to another will not enhance anything. It is the submersion of oneself within the day to day lives of the locals that will allow you to see things differently. This type of travel is a commitment that cannot be taken lightly, however, if executed properly, moments of creative joy can be the reward.
View of the Florence Duomo from Piazza Michelangelo