Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Why Travel Is Important to Me

You may have noticed a lot of instagramming happening this weekend while we were in New Orleans.  Friday we headed east from Houston to NOLA to celebrate Sam's birthday (a late 29th birthday gift for him!).  We stayed at an adorable B&B and had a great time seeing the city and learning about the history. 


When I was 15, I went abroad for the first time to see England.  I still remember how giddy I was to get my Passport (although that picture still haunts me... even when I pull it out today).  My parents sacrificed a lot in those early years to be able to take my brother and I along on trips when we were growing up.   They knew that seeing different parts of the world would open our eyes and shape us later in life.


Traveling is by far the biggest inspiration for me in my creativity.  Although I love reading magazines, watching documentaries, and browsing through fashion and design blogs, seeing unfamiliar places that get me out of my comfort zone is really the best creative exercise for me.  As bloggers, I know we are all constantly working to provide fresh content that will be interesting and unique to read- not just recycled from a million other blogs!  I think the best thing I can do is to allow new places and experiences to shape me and spur my creativity.  The thing is, each time I choose to travel to a new place, the adventure stays with me forever.  Here are a few trips I'll never forget...

 Bungy jumping off a bridge in New Zealand...

{2007, Queenstown, New Zealand}

spending a summer studying abroad at Oxford, and taking a memorable weekend trip alone to Stonehenge...
{2008}

Finishing my undergraduate capstone in Spain....

{Alcala de Henares, Spain, summer of 2010}

Bungy jumping and sky diving over the Swiss Alps...








 {Summer 2010}

Building water wells in Africa...




{Summer 2011}

I think my boldness today is a direct result of traveling.  There's something about navigating your way through the European train system alone in the middle of the night that will strengthen your confidence in yourself.  It's also exposed me to lots of different cultures and their way of doing things, which has made me more tolerant and open-minded.  I keep this Steve Jobs quote on my desk for a daily reminder to keep learning and growing each day:

  
So, I'm curious to know- what do you do to keep yourself inspired?  Are you a fan of travel, and if so, is there one particular trip that really changed you?

28 comments:

  1. girl, i absolutely LOVED looking at all your travel pictures, you've been some amazing places. I'm with you on the need to travel, I've spent time living in Israel and Peru, and visiting a group of other countries beyond that. I can't pick one that changed me the most, because I feel like every new place you travel you learn something new about yourself- that's the best part about it!

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  2. You have been to some amazing places!! That picture of you bungee jumping in Switzerland is awesome. I recently went to Switzerland this past March and it was amazing.

    XO,

    Kristy
    www.idesignlove.com

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  3. You know traveling is the same for me. My husband and I have been a lot of places in this world...and we even lived in New Zealand for a year. It's tapered off since we had a baby...but it's seriously still one of my very favorite things.

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  4. Wow you are so brave! The bungee jumping and skydiving pictures are priceless. My parents and grandparents love to travel, so making it a priority in my life was basically in my genes. I went to Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro last summer and had the most amazing time. But I agree that every time you travel, you learn something new and grow as a person. One of the items on my bucket list is to go on a trip like yours to Africa - life-changing I'm sure!

    www.finerfeelings.blogspot.com

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  5. I love your pictures! And I agree, travel is very important to me as well.

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  6. Giiiiiirl! Those bungy jumping pictures made me nervous just looking at them.... But in all seriousness, I absolutely love and admire your sense of adventure! Cheers to many more!

    xoxo, Emily
    www.mainstreetchic.blogspot.com

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  7. Love this. I'm ready to go soak up some culture. And if I had an "office" I would definitely frame that quote. So great.

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  8. love your pics!! Can we take a girls trip together asap

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  9. Africa changed me. Looking at your pictures took me right back. Although, I did spend four summers in the Adirondack mountains of upstate NY driving a parasail boat, and that time forever changed me as well!

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  10. Sam, you are a daredevil- not just a world traveler! The pics and adventures you shared are just amazing and I totally concur about travel. I haven't done a lot lately, but in my early twenties, I quit my desk job, packed my bags and got on a plane to Europe all alone. It was scariest thing I had done up to that point and you're right- what a confidence builder to navigate through countries with nobody but yourself to count on. It changed me forever.

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  11. You are crazy girl! Going sky diving and bungee jumping! Your travels look like they have taken you to some amazing places, and it looks like you really made the most of your time there. I think that every time I travel it changes me. Even the difference of being in Paris and the south of France. I think its awakening to different cultures, lifestyles, views on the world. Sometimes when I come home, I'm really surprised at the naieve statements people can make about a place they've never been or a culture they've never experienced.

    Next on my list is Prague and Dubrovnik, Croatia. My husband and I have also discussed moving to Switzerland [where he's from] at some point- which I think would be such a great experience!

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  12. You have been on some awesome adventures! I totally agree, if navigating through a foreign country on your own isn't bold, I don't know what is. I took a month and a half European adventure trip by myself when I was 18 and that was incredible. I'm still amazed that I did it.

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  13. you are so blessed to have traveled to all these places! love looking at your pictures.

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  14. I am dying over your sky diving and bungee jumping pics. Like I really am sweating right now...You are so much braver than I am!! And I would seriously LOVE to go to Africa!! Great Post..oh and I responded to your post about Zoe Saldana...Center Stage!!!!

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  15. Wow, these pictures are all so amazing. You've been to some seriously incredible places!!!!

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  16. Your trips and experiences are enviable my dear! People (like me) have spent their whole life living conservatively compared to you and you can only grow faster and live with more GUSTO from these experiences. I can't believe that picture of you buggy jumping over that lake view. That should be a huge poster in your office! or somewhere! a billboard maybe! You are taking the world by storm, and I admire you dear one.
    Nancy
    Powellbrowerhome.com

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  17. Look at you jumping off of bridges and out of planes! I think travel is so important and something that I lose sight of in favor of these shoes or that sweater. I really ought to be saving my pennies for something more meaningful! I studied in France my junior year and spent almost every weekend exploring a new country: bungee jumping in Spain, hang gliding in Switzerland, getting lost in Turkey. Thank you for this inspiring post — you've got my wanderlust creeping in again! :)

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  18. What amazing experiences you have had already throughout your life! This is absolutely amazing and a true inspiration to travel more. Often, I find myself dreaming of Greece but thinking only with my finances hat on and I've yet to really 'get away' to one of my bucket list places. Maybe it's time to put on my adventuring hat instead!
    Tiffany
    tiffanyleighinteriordesign.blogspot.com

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  19. I did a semester at Oxford and visited NOLA last spring - now I just need to make my way to Africa!!

    Kirby
    www.theshortandthesweetofit.com

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  20. I'm with you 100%! Travel is where it's at! I LOVE leaving the country! Africa is probably my favorite trip I've taken! (Getting engaged on the Serengeti certainly helped!) Question...I would love to do some kind of good will trip in Africa. When you went to dig wells, was that through a certain program or something?

    xx
    Kecia

    http://www.couturezooblog.com/

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  21. whoa- your travels have been incredible and are so inspiring- and I am so impressed w/ the sky diving!

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  22. You are one lucky lady for being free to travel in those exciting places,
    and you are very brave too,
    I can't sky dive nor bungy jump. But I'm into traveling too, you learn so much from it.

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  23. I met a boy right after grad and foolishly followed him to Portland to live...although the relationship didn't last (I ended up staying over a year) the memories of my independence away from family, home in SoCal, friends, everything literally changed in that time away...It's funny how you always attempt to chase some crazy far-off dreams yet find yourself right at home in the process. That's what travel does for me, awakens the spirit :D Beautifully written babe...love these random posts that have nothing to do with dress/design/decor! Keep it up doll! Loving this adventurous side of you!

    xo-Julie
    Peace. Love. LOL!

    Haute Khuuture Blog

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  24. Girrrrrrrl, HOW COOL ARE YOU! Skydiving and bungeejumping all over the world :l Amazing!

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  25. Look at you, you adventurous girl you! WOW! Skydiving!?! I am jealous of how fun you are! How happy and calm did you look right before you jumped out!?! I could never do that! And I just loved those pictures of you in Africa. How inspiring. Thanks for sharing these, so awesome!!!
    xoxo, Sarah

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  26. Thats crazy so inspiring!
    xo,
    http://missmelissafashionandbeautyblog.blogspot.com/

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  27. What a great post the bungy jumping pictures are AMAZING! I don't think I could ever have the courage to do something like that. xx

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  28. This is INCREDIBLE!! WOW! This has given me a totally different perspective and impression of you than what you normally blog about - cool!!

    I'm sooo impressed at your multiple bungee jumps (the pix they captured are AMAZING, you must be soo pleased) and skydiving! HOLY BRAVE!

    Love this post!!

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