Hey there!
This time, I'm writing to you from a small garden inside a Library / Art Exhibit / Restaurant in the middle of Bodrum.
As you enter this walled garden, going down a few steps from the main road, you feel like you've just walked through a portal to another universe. You're greeted by an overwhelming amount of green plants, palms, and olive trees.
Only a few steps from the busy street, you no longer hear traffic. The only soundtrack here is the leaves in the wind, water splashing as the small stream connects to a pond, and classical music playing from speakers in the trees.
As you follow the little path in the grass, you come across a modern red brick and glass building. A library full of books and art installations.
You continue a little further and sit on a table cut from a single piece of wood, somehow still smelling like it was cut yesterday, and order Çay (Turkish black tea) and Su (water).
As you're enjoying the shade of the old, beautifully twisted olive trees, taking in the scenery in front of you, you feel your mind slowing down, your muscles releasing their tension, and your whole body relaxing.
You take a sip of Çay while enjoying one of Vivaldi's Summer compositions, and you feel deep gratitude that such a place exists, as well as a deep admiration for the mind that planned it and the skilled hands that made it happen.
This brings me to today’s topic.
You see, reading about places like this, seeing the happy travel pics on Instagram, or reading some travel blog, might fool one to think that traveling can solve all their internal problems. That the grass is greener on the other side, and that to feel whole, one just needs to set out on an adventure.
The thing you have to remember is, wherever you go, there you are.
In short, it means that whatever issues you're going through, whatever suppressed feelings are making you tense, they travel with you as your emotional carry-on baggage.
When you travel, you don't suddenly become a different person. You just have enough distractions, and new shiny things to explore, to temporarily silence your internal monologue.
Wherever you travel, whatever experiences you'll have, over time, they become your new normal, their power of distraction diminishes, and you'll go back to being your usual self.
When you embrace this, it can help you make the change you desire by traveling or moving to a different city.
I experienced this myself.
In 2019, I was burned out, unhealthy, pretty toxic to people around me, and I was deeply unhappy. I decided to move to a different city.
Knowing that the move itself wouldn't miraculously change me into a happy person, I came up with a plan to build new routines and change how I spend my days.
When I moved in, I made one significant change – I took a startup vacation.
Working only as a freelancer reduced my work hours, and I spent my free time going to the gym, being social, making new friends, and exploring the city.
I intentionally put blank spaces throughout my day for rest, thinking, and whatever else I felt like doing.
The steps I took ultimately led me out of burnout and depression, and in a few months, I was healthy, happy, and productive again.
All that excitement and possibilities of the new city made it much easier to do the hard work of getting back on the path. It was the push I needed at the time.
I don't know how it would end if I wouldn’t move or if I had just moved and hoped for the best. But I have a feeling I wouldn’t be as successful with turning my life around.
Have a great weekend, and thank you for reading! :)