Travel Inspiration

You sit in front of the computer day after day and stare at the perfectly placed letters on the keyboard, gently depress them and watch as the black soils the white background, willing them to form words, words that will form sentences, sentences that will form paragraphs, willing those paragraphs to become pages upon pages of a masterpiece. A story that might touch you, a story that may make you laugh, a story that could make you question, a story that should make you think, an unforgettable creation.

Now, what if you didn't have a story and had only the desire for inspiration. You try to ignore the pearly white document, shut your eyes and hope that the letters you so need would magically fill the page. Open your eyes and yet again you are greeted by blankness.

You want to busy yourself with something else because you think you don't have a story to tell; the frustration building. The mind closed to all imagery, the heart refusing to bleed the words, your soul not willing to share. A flicker of inspiration, an explosion of imagination is all you long for. Where would you go to find that inspiration?

This was my problem when I was asked to contribute to the travel issue of Studio_83. This shouldn’t have been a problem right? Unpacking all of the memories and encounters I had lived over 13 months. With so many places to choose from, I could just pick a location and let my mind soar through it, find it’s moment and release its load to share moments in time of a traveling woman. Letting you follow my footsteps across the planet.

Traveling in wonderment through history, creative splendor of man made structures, magical myths, buzzing metropolis, mother nature’s blessings, gifts of musical talents and of course the passion of life.

But where would I let my mind wonder to first? I’ve created a list of top places with emotionally charged memories.

A LITTLE TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

The streets of Salvadore, Brazil packed with gorgeous people enjoying the carnivale; a clebration of culture through music and dance over a week of non-stop everything. Chanting along to traditional and modern Brazilian songs of love and passion relaying desires, lust and motivation to get down and dirty. One such yearning ode:

Beija, Beija / Ta Calore Ta Calore / Mas eu nao quero so beija / Tambem quero amor.

This kiss, this kiss / It’s hot, It’s hot / but I don’t just wanna kiss / I also wanna make love

An Island 2hours off the coast of Brazil, Morre de Sao Paulo, where the hoards of tired bodies go to relax and rejuvenate after the escapism that is the week long party sensation of Salvadore’s Carnivale. Arriving at close to dusk and watching the paling orange sun set over the deep blue endless ocean. An island so small and simple that no cars roam the sand covered street; instead, wheelbarrow taxis are used to carry your luggage from the dock to your beach hotel. Nightly beach parties on one of the three beaches; partying under the stars and moon – paths lined with stalls selling virgin and alcohol cocktails made with fresh fruit which you pick from the wide selection of succulence. Nothing more delicious than the explosion on your taste buds of some strawberries, acai, banana and orange with a touch of Vodka over crushed iced while dancing around fires on the warm sand

Getting lost in childhood memories of the imaginative myth that was the Lochness monster in Scotland, while walking down Princess Street in Edinburgh with castles in the midst and kilted men, cleverly not allowing the wind to share too much skin. English coming out of the Scottish mouths sounding more foreign than hearing languages no longer spoken anywhere in the world.

Being witness to the jaw dropping grandeur and magnificence of the unfinished La Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona, by genius architect Gaudi. Seeing this church made my heart soar with same intensity that it does when I heard a symphony of pianos and violins leading an orchestra at Sydney opera house. His other works in Barcelona are just as spectacular and if nothing else must be observed by all

Who would have thought that romance could be found in Hollands village of excess? Ignoring the infamous red light district with gorgeous women (and ex-men) dancing in front of large windows waiting to be picked, and the coffee shops specializing not in coffee but in all sorts of marijuana, there are other means of elation in Amsterdam. A moonlit cruise along the canals and under little walking bridges, the shallow water lined with dimmed mood softening lights along the quiet streets. While the party districts are a buzz, solace can be found in this bicycle filled town.

Bypassing the touristy spots such as Notre Dame, The Louvre, Arc de Triomph and the Eiffel Tower, all of which Da Vinci’s code describes pretty well, hit the still beautiful although grubby streets of the ghetto and immerse yourself in the cultural shock that is French Hip hop street performances and the artists selling their mixtapes in Paris hoods, as if it were an excerpt straight out of what would be expected from Harlem. Encounter the live and vibrant poetry to rhythm in motion, graffiti, battling and of course tongue tossing lip vibrating and face ballooning sounds of beatboxing.

Stepping into a vehicle of my granddad’s times; old, rackety and without a fuel gauge I introduce The Trabant. There are only a few of these Trabant’s left in existence today, five to specific. Revived by the only tour group licensed to tour the last living stronghold of communism. Poland’s gift from Joseph Stalin, a forgotten city called Nowa Huta stuck in 1949. This town was created in just ten years, and left there, as an independent from the rest of the Poland. A 60-year-old blast from the past staying true to the adage that some things never change, any vintage lover would be in kitsch heaven

Outside Mexico City is the stuff of legends, aliens and like something out of a Paulo Coehlo novel. The awe inducing Aztec Pyramids offer an unparalleled view of Mexican desert landscapes – only after climbing the hundreds of steps for what seems like forever on a clear skied scorching day. Well worth it for quieted mind and clarity of thought you get at the top.

Of all the things that got me thinking, got my imagination flowing and focus back on track, getting from place to place within any city was what inspired me the most. The Metro’s, subways, undergrounds, sky trains and trams in the metropolis really excited me. The speed, the efficacy, the station names, routes, lines and changes. Mostly how the many characters of each city were all in those train cars.

Wherever one would go to retrieve that ever-illusive muse and no matter how we get there, we all have a tale to tell.

In every day life, on every street corner, every moment worth experiencing should be inspiration to explore. Sometimes, it is in these very moments that there are no words but the desire to live, not just the will to survive.