The best version of yourself
A few nights ago, I sat in the audience at the Book Passage Travel and Food Writing & Photography Conference, listening to Andrew McCarthy talk about his transition from actor to travel writer. One of his comments about travel stood out in particular: “I love that feeling of going, it makes me feel a much better version of myself.”
While at home, I may at times get caught up in work, or even bend to certain expectations others have of me. But when traveling, I feel that I have time to be more truly myself.
The goal, I suppose, is to try to get those two worlds to merge—to be as open to new possibilities at home as you are when you are away, and to embrace things as they come as lessons whether on the road or not. One women I ran into later in the evening said that until recently, she believed that the was a better version of herself when she traveled, but now, she’s working on being that optimal version at home as well.
How about you? Are you more yourself when traveling?
August 16th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
I’m sorry to have missed Book Passage Travel and Food Writing & Photography Conference. I would have loved to listen to Andrew McCarthy talk about travel writing. I, too, love that feeling of going. Even if I have a full day of travel to get to my destination, I fell fully alive and engaged when I am traveling. The spark plug in me truly ignites during my travels.
For me, I’m not sure that I would want my two worlds to merge. At home, I need to be focused to complete work and family life tasks. During my travels, I have the opportunity to be more inquisitive and child-like; open to the world of undiscovered opportunities. I prefer to keep one foot in each world.
September 6th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
I agree, I’ve always thought I was a better version of myself while traveling. One of the reasons I want to take my parents traveling with me one day is so they can see more of the real me, or at least the me I think is better…