By Emma Harris
As human beings we are born to one place, one culture, and one society. Many people spend most of their lives in that one place. They become that culture, conform to that society, and become completely intertwined with that place. Our emotions and behaviours are influenced by and rooted in our individual cultures more than we even realize.
Then there are those who refuse to spend their lives in one place. They travel, and experience different places, cultures, and societies. They learn to never settle and to never be okay with settling. Traveling allows people to learn things that they could never be taught. It takes our emotions and behaviors which we have rooted in our systems to a new level. It opens our minds to new experiences, new thoughts, new cultures and people and places. Traveling gives us the right to be a child again, to start over, and to be whoever we want to be in a new place. It allows us to use our imagination and meet new people. Whether we’ve been inspired by the Caribbean to finally start a vacation clothing line, or a month-long hiking trip along the Eastern Alps to quit a 9 to 5 job, as human beings adventure inspires us. The idea that with travel comes inspiration depends solely on how you travel. It can reinforce your love and desire for your own culture or awaken inside of you a fire that you can never get rid of. The greatest works of art have had a simple beginning. Michaelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli grew up on the streets of Florence, inspired by their own culture before they became who they are known to be. Salvatore Ferragamo returned to Florence after spending years in the United States pulling inspiration and skill from his travels to start one of the best high-end fashion brands to exist. Guccio Gucci created the Gucci brand while working as a luggage porter in London, and later began crafting travel luggage. The greatest stories, greatest movies, greatest pieces of art are sometimes inspired by something one saw along the way. If you’ve ever traveled, the odds are likely that you’ve absorbed that culture, those streets, that music, and the food. As you experience Florence not just as a traveler but as an individual living in the city and exposed daily to its culture, how has it transformed your life? Probably more than you could ever imagine.